One Piece: Ocean's Course
by OPFan37
Summary: Wodos T. Ellix is the lookout and mercenary of the Strawhat Pirates, trained in the art of Rokushiki and eater of the Dream-Dream Fruit, he aims to become the worlds strongest Rokushiki User! However, many powerful enemies stand in his way, which he aims to overcome in his journey to the New World with his crew! [Compilation of all my One Piece stories. Starts from Strong World.]
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Enter Ellix

I staggered through the thick canopy, panting all the way against the heavy humid air brushing leaves longer then my arms out of my face. Finally I came across a small clearing surrounded by thick colourful trees just allowing streams of light to slip through the vines onto the ground below me.

I was wearing a dark yellow open short-sleeved shirt that had a large red "O" imprinted on the back, I also had a pair of dark green shorts on with brown laced hiking boots. An orange strap was slung over my shoulder connected by a metal cylinder filled with water by my waist, wiping my forehead I unscrewed the top and took a big gulp of water before screwing the top back on again.

Before I could continue though I was interrupted by a large rustling sound behind me, I turned to see a humongous Kimono dragon with steel-like scales and a long neck and tail (with an iron mace connected on the end) and large protruding fangs that couldn't fit in its mouth.

We stared at each other for a moment. "What the hell do you want?" I asked, it replied by licking its pointed teeth with its reptilian tongue and narrowing its eyes at me like I was a sausage. Suddenly it reared its head and thrashed forward, mouth gaping to swallow me whole. "Soru!" I cried and with that I jumped into the air at the speed of light, the giant lizard looked around confused for a second, wondering where its snack had gone.

"Rankakyu!" I yelled whipping my leg sending a scythe of air so fast it appeared like a silver wave towards the unsuspecting reptile. Unfortunately the wave made impact with the lizards torso and fizzled out leaving only a small wisp of smoke behind.

Landing safely behind it I noticed how little damage I had done and crossed my arms. "Man! You've got some tough skin there!" On that remark it looked in my direction, narrowing its slit eyes, roaring as a means to intimidate me but instead covering me with spit. After wiping the drool off of me I walked up to the over-sized gecko and placed both my fists against its stomach. It looked at me and opened its jaw ready to crush me, finally getting its stubborn meal.

"Rokuogan!"

A powerful blast emitted from my fists smashing into its stomach, the lizard seemed to freeze for a moment, with a pained expression on its face, before it flew across the jungle smashing into several trees and falling unconscious.

I leaped onto the creatures stomach and looked down at it. "ALRIGHT! I WIN! DON'T MESS WITH WODOS T. ELLIX!" I shouted at the white-eyed lizard. 'And now I'm talking to a probably dead lizard' I thought. 'I REALLY have to find everyone.' I slid off the creatures stomach and walked on my way. I considered bringing the monster with me as lunch, before realising my teeth would break on its scales. I looked up with determination. 'No matter what...I'll find you...my nakama.'

 _Flashback_

I stormed through the town angrily looking back. 'Stupid ossan!' I yelled in my mind 'I don't care what he says! I'm gonna be a pirate, it was his fault anyway for training me in Rokushiki! He'll see! I'LL FIND ONE PIECE AND BE THE PIRATE KING!'

Just as the speech crossed my mind the ground in front of me exploded, screaming I leaped back and stared into the smoke that had appeared in front of me. In the newly formed crater was a boy, 17 I thought, so a year older then me, wearing a red vest, blue shorts and oddly a straw hat with a red ribbon tied around it.

"H-Hey! Are you okay!? D-Did you just fall from the god damn sky!?" I screamed frantically at him, still not over my shock.

He turned and looked at me with a blank face, He had shaggy black hair and a scar under his left eye. "Huh? Who are you?" He asked, tilting his head at me.

"Answer my question first! How can you fall from the sky and be okay!?"

"Oh." He answered smiling a big toothy grin "That's easy!" I then watched with bug-eyes as he hooked his finger into his mouth and STRETCHED IT to the length of his arm! "I'm a rubber man!"

"Rubber? Did you eat a Devil Fruit?"

"Yep! The Gum-Gum Fruit!"

Suddenly he leaped to his feet and screamed. "Oh no! I have to find Zoro! See ya Skinny!" He then promptly turned and ran off.

I stared for a few seconds before reacting. "Sk...what? Zoro? Sk...Zo...Sk-Skinny!? Wait up!" I yelled dashing after him until I ran alongside him. "Just who the hell are you!?"

He then turned to me and gave me another toothy grin. "I'm Monkey D. Luffy! The man who's gonna be the Pirate King!"

 _Flashback End_

"Luffy." I whispered. "Don't worry, no matter how long it takes, I'll find you, and her...and all our friends!" I then sped off further into the jungle.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: The Skypiean(?)

"Oh, god! I'm disgusting!"

I looked down at myself, retching at the sight. "No bathing...no sanitation...for A WEEK! I STINK! My teeth are gonna rot and fall out!"

I fell to my knees and cried to the heavens: "All I ask for is a bathroom! Is that too much to ask!?" I quickly rebounded onto my feet. "There has to be a town on these islands somewhere! I shall find it no matter what!" I then ran forward (I didn't care where I was going anymore) as fast as possible.

After running as long as I could I finally managed to get to the edge of the island. I sighed with relief and looked over the edge, only to see nothing but clouds beneath me.

"Great. Just great. Now what do I do?" I stared up to find loads of islands floating above me. "Ohhhhh...I'm on the lowest one." I crossed my arms and continued to glance over the islands. "Maybe if I use Geppo...".

I was once again interrupted by the crashing of trees behind me. Although this time it wasn't a member of the lizard family, I had to raise my eyebrow at the giant chicken/turkey hybrid with red feathers and a hummingbirds beak that stood before me.

I had to admit, it looked REALLY stupid.

It then poked the ground where I previously stood, leaving a deep hole in the ground and allowing me to find out it could skewer me. "Hey!" It then tried to stab me again. "Hey!" it persisted in trying to puncture me, its head going back and forth like a demented yo-yo.

"Heyheyheyheyheyheyheyheyheyhey Kami-E!" My body suddenly flattened itself and swayed to and fro, avoiding the deadly beak and allowing me to get out of its range. "Shigan!" using just my forefinger I shot three bullet wounds into its crimson neck causing it to baa (yes, I said 'baa') in pain.

I stared at the bird/chicken/turkey/thing like it was the child of insanity and Buggy. The ungodly creation obviously noticed this and continued to thrust its weapon beak at me, forcing me into the air.

"Geppo!" I kicked off of the air itself multiple times to disorientate the thing. Finally I landed on its head and tugged on its feathers HARD. The creature let out its weird cry of pain and took off, thrashing its head around to make me let go. We crashed on the island above the one I was previously on and I finally fell off.

"Tekkai!" My muscles instantly hardened themselves to the density of iron before crashing into a tree. Pulling myself out of the bark onto the ground I looked at the now very angry bird. I instantly grew shark teeth to yell at it. "Stupid thing! I wanna see Sanji cook you for Christmas dinner!"

The thing did not like that at all, and began charging me. I bent my leg into a perfect 'V' shape and steadied my balance, narrowing my eyes. "Rankakyu Bumeran!" I then snapped my leg into a straight line causing a silver spinning 'V' to shoot past the creature, completely missing it. As the thing continued to advance I simply watched the letter in the sky turn around and head back towards me.

At the last second I leaped past the red bird using Soru just in time to see the spinning technique slash its wing, making it baa again. As I landed again I saw the bird being rammed by a massive pink elephant with huge tusks on its head and under its trunk.

"Again!? How many of these things are there!?" I screamed as the bird was thrown off into the new jungle.

It then turned to me.

I began to glare at the behemoth. "Look, I'm really tired and hungry, lets get this over with." I murmured. The elephant lowered its head ready to charge as I placed both my hands on its head.

"Sleep Touch!"

The massive fighting machine was covered in a rainbow veil, before the multicoloured cover faded and the pink animal fell on its side, snoring contently.

I instantly began walking on again, deciding I'd wasted enough time. I kept stomping along until I came to what looked like a group of old ruins. The area was riddled with eroded stones and vine covered pillars. 'Robin would love this place.' I thought to myself.

Then I heard a noise, I started frowning, thinking it was another bloodthirsty animal. Until that is I saw a small girl, no older then 5. She had blonde hair that was thrown over her shoulders and reached down to her back, and was wearing an aquamarine dress that reached down to her knees. But the weirdest thing about her was that there were feathers growing out of her arms and she was jumping around like a lunatic.

I crossed my arms and stared at her in confusion. Was she a Skypiean? No...Skypieans had wings on their backs. So was she another monster? She didn't exactly look dangerous.

Before I could think further the ground behind her started to erupt, revealing a large grey mole with sword like claws and a large nose. It sniffed in the direction of the girl and dropped to all fours, slowly advancing on her.

My eyes widened in horror and I dashed forward. "Get out of the way!" I pleaded. "Please! You have to run!" She looked at me in confusion just as the mole stood on its hind legs and raised its lengthened claws.

"Soru!" I yelled grabbing the girl just as the blind monster obliterated the ground beneath it. I placed her behind a pillar before placing a finger to my lips. "Stay here." I whispered, she nodded in response and I dashed out from behind my hiding spot "You over-grown rat! How dare you attack a kid!" The mole snuffled towards me and raised its arms.

"Shigan Oren!" I screamed as I brandished my fore finger, driving it into the mole again and again as fast as I could until it shot into the sky and vanished from sight. I stared at the place the mole previously stood, I really hated that thing.

"Um..." I turned around to see the child I'd just saved. On closer inspection I noticed she had clear blue eyes, just like mine, and a small petite nose, she was biting her bottom lip as her eyes became cloudy. "Th-Thank you for saving me." She sobbed.

I smiled and knelt down to her. "No problem. Are you injured?" she bit her lip harder and raised her right arm. I gasped in shock as I saw her arm was badly bruised and there was blood running down it.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out some bandages and carefully started wrapping her arm. "I'm so sorry!" I spluttered rapidly "I'm sorry I couldn't reach you in time! I'm sorry you got hurt!" I finished tying the bandages and looked at my sloppy work. Damn it if only Chopper were here!

But still she smiled at me "No, the mole didn't do it, I did this myself." I almost let out a sigh of relief at her reply.

"You saved my life Mr...Urr.." A look of confusion appeared on her face and I smiled.

"I'm Ellix! Wodos T. Ellix!"

Her smile grew so big I thought it wouldn't fit her face. "Thank you for saving my life Mr. Ellix!"

I then felt compelled to answer the questions on my mind. "What are you doing out here all alone? And...why do you have wings?" I said nodding to her arms.

She looked at them and smiled again "Everybody in my village has them! We're born with them so we can fly! Here! I'll show you!" She began flapping her arms before crying out in pain.

"Careful!" I said not bothering to hide the concern in my voice.

She smiled again. "But...I'm the only one who can actually fly."

I crossed my arms "Only you? Didn't you say everyone in your village had wings?"

She smiled yet again "Well Mr. Ellix, the thing is I haven't told anyone in my village." She began twiddling her thumbs nervously "I think it's my own special thing which only I can enjoy, that's why I like flying through all the beautiful clouds and the clear sky on my own.".

It was then she seemed to get a bit disheartened."But then when I was flying today I accidentally went too low and I crashed into a tree. That's when I hurt my arm."

She started biting her lower lip again as tears filled her eyes. "And now mum and Niko will start worrying about me and getting worried that I'll get eaten and I HAVE TO GET BACK NOW!" She then turned around and started to run off.

"Wait!" I yelled dashing in front of her. She stopped and looked up at me with sad eyes. I knelt down so we could look at each other face to face. "What's your name?"

"My name?" She repeated with a sniff. "It's Florina."

I stood up. "Florina, I have some friends I need to find, and you need to get home to your village. So I reckon I might as well help you to get back!"

She looked at me for a while, then she slowly stopped biting her lip and smiled with tears in her eyes. "You mean it Mr. Ellix?"

I nodded. "Of course!"

She then jumped up and hugged me, catching me off guard. "Thank you so much Mr. Ellix! You're the nicest person I've ever met!" I smiled. "No problem."

I then hoisted her up onto my back piggyback style, with her good arm wrapped around my neck and her bandaged one held close to her stomach. "Ready Florina?" I asked.

"Yes Mr. Ellix!" She replied.

I then started dashing off as fast as I could. "Let's GOOOOOOO!"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Monkey D. Luffy

We'd stopped to rest for a while after running for a few hours. I offered Florina my water canister and she gladly accepted it, gulping down three mouthfuls before breathing. I looked back at the defeated animals behind us, either bruised from a Tekkai enforced fist or cut from a Rankakyu technique.

Florina handed me back my water can. "Mr Ellix! You're really really strong!" She said beaming at me with her bright smile.

I smiled back. "If you think I'm strong you should see my captain!" I replied.

"Oh! Oh! That's Mr...ummm...Luffy! Right?" She asked waving her good arm in the air.

"Right! My nakama are really amazing!" I said. I crossed my arms and started thinking about them. "They're all so strong and funny and serious and stupid and technical and smart and weird and upbeat and..." I sighed. "...Beautiful" I finished, thinking about my girlfriend.

I frowned almost instantly as I remembered us getting separated by that wheel-head. 'Stop it!' I thought, mentally punching myself. 'She's strong, she can take care of herself.' But the frown remained.

"Mr. Ellix?" I turned to the owner of the little voice beside me. "Are you ok?"

I gave her a reassuring smile. "Yeah, don't worry, I'm just thinking."

Then suddenly my face lit up as an idea began to formulate. "Hey." I whispered to her. "Wanna see something amazing?"

She immediately started bouncing up and down. "Really!?" She almost screamed giddily. "Ok! Show me please Mr. Ellix!"

I gently rested my hand on her shoulder "Sleep Touch." I murmured. A familiar rainbow veil covered her and faded just as quickly. She slumped over with a small smile on her face, fast asleep. I smiled to myself and also fell asleep.

And suddenly we woke up, except the entire area was covered in the same multi-coloured veil. Florina looked around. "This is really pretty Mr. Ellix."

I looked at her. "Hold on, there's one more thing." I smirked. I held out both my hands and focused on the image in my head.

"Dream Dream Mirage!"

And suddenly they were there in front of us. All of my nakama. Each with their own smile and attitude. But they were still just like frozen pictures, not moving.

Florina got up and walked over to them, looking at each one in turn with a childish interest and fascination. But when she reached out to touch them, her hand simply passed through them. She looked at the images with a pout on her face.

Then we woke up, and everything was normal again.

"Um...Mr. Ellix? How did you do that?" She asked quietly.

I smiled at her. "Florina. I ate a Devil Fruit." She looked at me with saucepan eyes. "The Dream-Dream Fruit; I'm a dream man!"

 _Flashback_

I was laying on the floor, surrounded by my own blood, darkness dancing on the edge of my vision, forcing me to use all my willpower to stay conscious.

I remember at the time I was wearing a shirt I had made myself in Water 7, a dark blue short sleeve with the Straw hat Pirates jolly roger imprinted on the front and the words 'Dead or Alive' printed in red on the back. A stupid thing to remember i know.

I was on the top floor of Enies Lobby, with him standing in front of me.

Hanta.

Funny how his name was Japanese for 'hunter'. His doriki was 3600, while mine was only 2800, even after Skypeia. Plus, he had the power of the Cat-Cat Fruit Model: Tiger. He wore a black suit with gold buttons and matching trousers, and previously wore a black bowler hat with a blue ribbon before I knocked it off his stupid head. Currently he was in hybrid form, covered in cuts and bruises like me. Thanks to his damn Devil Fruit his torso and arm muscles had TRIPLED, making him tower above me. He had dark brown hair that was slightly fizzy and reached down to his back, little facial hair, and two red deadly eyes.

"Have you finally used up the last of your strength?" He spat at me. "I knew it, CP9 could never be defeated by a bunch of foolish pirates way in over their heads." I grit my teeth and tried to get up, only to cough up more blood and slump down again. "A pity...I expected more from the man who declared he would become the worlds strongest Roksuhiki user. It appears you were just foolish in the end." He turned away from me. "Nico Robin will not escape this place alive." he hissed darkly.

I ground my teeth and forced my burning muscles to push myself up into a sitting position. gasping for air and spitting blood.

"ELLIX!"

I blinked for a second, wincing at the slight movement.

"Luffy...?"

"We all have to go back! I know you can do it! Kick his ass!"

Hanta raised an eyebrow. "You're captain is still alive even after fighting Lucci? How...annoying."

I yelled at him with a blood filled throat. "Shut up! You're-" I spat out more blood. "-fighting me! Luffy's gonna beat the hell outta Lucci!"

He turned to me, evidently annoyed. "You have lost, and your captain has managed to stay alive for so long by pure luck. And so have you."

I grinned at him, tasting blood on my lips. "I get it, your Doriki is higher then mine, and you have a carnivorous Zoan type Devil Fruit. There's no way I can win."

He glared at me. "So you are giving up? I'm disappointed." I looked up while grinning.

"Who said I was giving up? I can't let my captain down." I chuckled. I glanced through the massive hole in the wall at the rest of my nakama fighting on the bridge. "Or the rest of them either..."

I pulled out a small box from my belt. It was a simple wooden one that could fit in your hand, covered in bandages after getting damaged so many times. But then again, I'd been carrying it around since Orange Town.

I pulled a small silver key from around my neck, put it in the keyhole in the tiny chest and flicked my wrist, making it pop open.

I reached in and took out the precious content. An apple shaped aquamarine fruit with a dark violet curly stem, with unmistakeable swirl patterns on it. Completely oblivious to the damage dealt to it's home since my journey began.

"A Devil Fruit? Are you so desperate you think a quick bite will save you? What a joke!" Hanta sneered. I saw the light speed motion and quickly bent over, crying out in pain as I felt a bullet wound drill into my back, clutching the precious fruit close to my chest.

He stepped away with a disgusted look. "You took an attack to protect it? You really are just like every other weak pirate. Thinking that something like a Devil Fruit can spare you from death."

"I KNOW I CAN'T BEAT YOU!" I spewed more blood and almost collapsed, my whole body burning and bleeding. "I accept that! But I can't die here! Everyone has fought and won! How would I feel if I let you walk away!?" I roared holding the fruit like it was the world itself. "I WON'T GIVE UP! THIS IS MY LAST CHANCE!"

I was kneed in the stomach at the speed of Soru, knocking me back into the wall and collapsing to the ground, still clutching the fruit. "You have lost to CP9...and now you want to place all your hopes on a cursed fruit. That, pirate, is relying on luck to save you. A cowards move." I stood up, my knees wobbling under me and my body shuddering with each breath.

I raised the fruit to my jaw. "It's not if it works..." And slowly...

...bit down onto it.

I almost gagged at the disgusting taste and wanted to spit it out! It was like eating garbage and dung with a slice of 100 year old cheese! I swallowed the awful mouthful and gasped for air.

It was then that my eyes grew wide as saucepans, I clutched my head and started sweating uncontrollably. Everything seemed to slow down for hours in the space of a single second.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhrrrrrrrrrrrrggggggggghhhhhhhh!"

I screamed at the top of my lungs and began bashing my head against the ground. "What are you doing pirate?" I heard Hanta say. There was a searing pain inside my head, almost like my mind was being jabbed with a red hot poker. And I could feel them, all my thoughts and feelings and dreams swelling up inside my head like a mind balloon, bashing against the sides of my skull trying to get out from their confinement.

I slammed my head against the ground again and again in a futile attempt to make the pain go away. "Ellix!" I heard a voice call, but it was distant and echoing.

"Ellix! What's wrong!?" I heard another with the same echo and distant properties.

The pain just kept getting worse though, and my mind balloon was pushing at the walls of my head. I could feel tears mixed with blood run down my face "Make it stop..." I whimpered. "It hurts so much...make it stop, make it stop, make it stop..."

And then my mind balloon popped.

The pain vanished instantly. I opened my eyes, wiping away the tears and got up. A dark veil began encircling me, it was a dark purple and black, wrapping itself around me, protecting me, "What are you doing now?" I finally realized that Hanta was still in the demolished room. "What Devil Fruit did you eat?"

The next words that came out of my mouth hadn't even been sent by my brain, they just appeared, telling me the right thing to say.

"Daydream: Nightmare."

The veil finally collapsed in on itself and evaporated, leaving me to deal with this fight. For a moment nothing happened.

Then my arms suddenly shot out of their sockets, stretching until they were double their original length. My legs began twisting together until they evaporated into a single ghostly wisp pinned to the ground. My teeth grew longer and longer until they were sharp points perfectly fitting in my mouth. My hair shot up into jagged spikes and took on a purple tint, and finally my eyes grew into a fierce expression until they diluted themselves into a deep red, no pupils, just red.

I reached my lengthened arms around so I could see them, both were a deep black with dark purple hands, my fingers were no longer fingers, but sharp points. I smirked, a crazed smirk, one that a madman has on his face before delivering the killer blow. My mouth had now set into that wicked smile.

"E-E-Ellix!?" I heard a voice say.

"Yaaaahhh! What the hell happened to him!?" Another shrieked.

I just stared at Hanta with my evil smile. "What? Are you trying to intimidate me pirate? It's not working." He snarled.

"Oh really?" My voice sounded different too, deeper and darker. "You should be...Hanta of CP9." My grin widened "I have just eaten the Dream-Dream Fruit. Do you know what dreams are? They are hopes and thoughts and feelings and wishes, they are one of the most powerful things all living beings possess. Mine have become so powerful they have burst out of my head to assist me in the real world."

I looked at him with determination, still smiling. "Be afraid Hanta, be very afraid, for you are now in the presence..." I spread my long arms open for emphasis. "Of a living breathing NIGHTMARE! Akumumumumumu!

 _Flashback End_

I shuddered, maybe that wasn't the best memory to refer back to.

"Mr. Ellix? Are you okay?" Florina asked, there was obvious worry in her voice. "Yeah." I sighed, "Sorry Florina, we should be moving again." I bent down and picked her up piggyback style. "Ok let's-"

I stopped, there was a creature dangling in front of us.

It was a spider.

Not an evil super powerful spider.

Just a spider.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" I yelled before turning around and dashing off as fast as my feet would carry me.

"Mr Ellix! What's wrong!?"

"SPIDER!" I screamed.

Well that set her off. "SPIDER!? Aiiieeeeee!" And so we ran for the next minute screaming as loud as we could until I tripped and landed face first in the dirt.

I hate my arachnophobia.

But those evil demons, with their hairy legs, and their eight eyes are just downright CREEPY! I was scared to death of that Marine back at Enies Lobby. And...that horrible, horrible moment when they fell from the sky...I will never recover.

"Florina...you okay?" I asked weakly.

"Yes Mr. Ellix..." She replied weakly.

"I'm so hungry..." I said into the dirt.

"Me too..." She said into my back.

Suddenly I smelt something. I raised my head and looked around, wondering if I had imagined it, but there it was again.

MEAT.

My strength was instantly renewed. "Florina! I smell food!"

Her eyes grew wide and began sparkling "Really? Food?"

I stood up. "Yeah! Come on!" I carried her in the direction of the lovely smell until we came to a clearing. I instantly noticed a giant land squid with several tentacles missing.

And there he was. Sitting by a campfire, cooking squid tentacles and devouring them one after another, wearing a very dark blue shirt, red shorts...and a straw hat.

My captain, Monkey D. Luffy.

 _Flashback_

At the base of the mountain, I clutched the sick Nami close to my chest, the wind and snow whipping around us. Luffy slung an unconscious Sanji over his back.

"Hey Ellix!" He said with his trademark grin. "Use your mystery walking thing to get to the top!"

I looked up at the towering mountain, then back at him. "What about you?"

"I'll climb up!"

"Are you insane!?" I yelled. "There's no way you can climb that thing! I'll get to the top, find the doctor and come back for you!"

"Ellix!" He yelled back. "We gotta get Nami up there! I can do this myself!" I cringed at the idea. To be honest, I believed he could do it, but he'd still badly hurt his body.

"No! I'm coming back for you you baka!" I shouted through the snow.

"Ellix, Nami's more important! Don't leave her on her own! Captain's orders!". I gasped, he was using THAT of all times!? He couldn't just expect me to leave him! But then I looked down at Nami, she looked so peaceful and so sick at the same time. He was trusting me with one of our nakama, not just to help her to the top but to be beside her when she woke up.

"Ok...be careful!"

He grinned again. "Shishishi! Sure!" And as he began climbing I dashed past with Geppo.

On the sea train to Enies Lobby, Zoro and Sanji were questioning me about how I could use Rokushiki, the same skills as CP9.

"Why the hell didn't you tell us earlier!?" Zoro roared.

"How was I supposed to tell you that Rokushiki was a World Government fighting style!?" I roared back.

I felt a shoe press my face into the wall "Baka! How about before Robin-chwan was taken!?"

"I didn't know those assassins were part of Cipher Pole!" I yelled pushing the boot back. "Plus they had variations of their own! Almost every master has their own unique style to it!"

"So why did you clam up about it!?"

"What would you think of me!?"

"Nothing would have changed! We're nakama! We tell each other everything!" This heated discussion between me and Zoro lasted for about a minute until...

"Oi!" I turned to see my captain run up to us. "Who cares if Ellix knows the same mystery moves as those bastards? He's our nakama!" He smiled, that same reassuring smile. "And he's gonna help us get Robin out. So that's the difference between him and them."

He poked me. "And Ellix is skinny too."

I almost laughed at his statement. I nodded. "Don't worry Luffy. We're gonna get Robin back no matter what!"

Luffy laughed. "Shishishi! Of course we are!" He and Chopper then pointed at Usopp with sparkles in their eyes "'Cause we have Sogeking too!" they chanted together.

I could only sigh at the statement.

 _Flashback End_

"Heeeeyyyy! Luffy!" I called through cupped hands.

He turned around to reveal he was slightly bloated from eating, with a roasted tentacle sticking out of his mouth. "Ephix!" He called with a full mouth as he rushed over to us. I then watched in dread as he tackled me with his round stomach, nearly crushing me.

He stood up and began clapping his hands together. "I found you Ellix! Your the first of my nakama I've found, now we just need everyone else!" He said happily.

I dusted myself off after Luffy's attack and turned to him. "Good to see you too Luffy!" I smiled.

"Um...you're Mr Luffy right?" It was then that Luffy noticed Florina and immediately his eyes started sparkling.

"Sugoi! A Skypiean!"

I sweat-dropped. "No Luffy, Florina's not a Skypiean."

"Naniiii!?" He yelled mouth stretched low. He then sat down cross-legged and tilted his head, trying to think of anyone else he met that had wings. But he soon scrunched his face up in frustration and gave up.

He then turned to Florina and asked a typical Luffy question. "So you're a mystery person? Hey! Can you poop?"

"Wha-" Florina began to ask.

"Luffy! Of course she can! Don't ask such disgusting questions!"

Ignoring his puppy eyes I looked over to the fire he had started. 'Wait. Luffy started a fire? By himself?'. Instead of pondering on the question I looked over at the roasting tentacles, mouth watering. "So...uh...you've got food I see."

Luffy smiled proudly. "Yep! I beat up that squid thing! It's really nice! You should try some!"

I stared in shock at my captain 'LUFFY IS OFFERING FOOD!?'.

A few minutes later we were stuffed on food, thank god for my metabolism. "Ahhh!" Luffy sighed. "That was a good meal."

"You're not wrong there." I said.

"You and Mr. Luffy are back together Mr Ellix! That's great!" Florina piped up.

"Yeah." I answered "Now we just need to get you back home!"

"Hey Flori! Where is your village?" Luffy asked.

I turned to him. "Luffy, it's 'Florina' not 'Flori'" He just cocked his head at me.

"Well it's...um..." She began looking at each island in turn, then eventually turned to us. "I can't tell." She said with a nervous smile on her face, twiddling her thumbs. "They all look very similar."

I stood up "It doesn't matter, we'll find it if we keep moving.".

Bending down she once more climbed onto my back and we set off with Luffy. However there was a feeling in my gut that needed me to talk about something with him.

"Hey Luffy? Remember how we got separated?" I asked.

He frowned at the mention of it. "Yeah..." He said.

I began thinking back to the event that made us lose each other...


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Prologue

The sun was beating down on the Thousand Sunny, everyone was just going about their daily business or just messing around.

This was a week ago, when everything was going well. At the time I was wearing dark blue shorts and yellow flip-flops, along with a no-sleeve plain red shirt and a pair of orange tinted sunglasses.

I was hanging around Brook and Chopper. Brook was wearing a plain yellow shirt with writing on it, and was...smoking? 'I didn't realize Brook smoked.' I thought. Chopper seemed to be wearing some kind of pink bathrobe that looked like a hippo, but he was pretty happy for some reason, so I didn't pay it any mind.

Luffy suddenly dashed down the stairs, he was wearing blue and white shorts, his straw hat (obviously) and a FRIKKIN SCARF!

"Luffy. Why the hell are you wearing a scarf on a day like this?" I asked.

My captain and best friend chose to ignore my question and poked me in the face "Hey Ellix. I'm bored, let's playyyyy."

I sighed "It's too hot Luffy, why don't you try Usopp?"

"It's hot?" Luffy asked, he seemed to ponder this for a second, then started panting and sweating. "It's hooot! Sanji! I need a drink!"

He replied with a typical quote: "Get it yourself you bastard!"

He danced over to Nami and Robin with a lovestruck look in his eyes. "Nami-swaaaan! Robin-chwaaaan! I will gladly make any drinks you desire!" I frowned at him, I always got annoyed when he fawned over her, but I shrugged it off due to the heat.

Then Nami spoke up. "Hey guys! Listen to this."

I got up and walked over along with Luffy and Usopp. "What is it Nami?" I said.

She turned and showed me the paper, it was a several page article on towns vanishing in East Blue. "Apparently villages just...disappear, no-one knows how."

"Only in East Blue?" Usopp spoke up taking the paper.

"Nani? Why only there?" Luffy said cocking his head.

Nami rested her head on her hands "I don't know, but it's troubling."

"Oh yeah!" Chopper spoke up "Most of our nakama are from East Blue right?"

Brook blew out smoke and spoke himself. "I believe Luffy-san, Zoro-san, Nami, and Usopp-san are from East Blue."

"OW! Ellix-bro! Sanji-bro! Aren't you from East Blue too?" Franky said.

Sanji gave a puff on his cigarette before answering. "Technically I was born in the North Blue, but I was raised in the East Blue."

"I was supposedly born in the New World, but I was always raised in the East Blue. It's my hometown as far as I care." I told him.

"In that case we should go back." Luffy said with a grin, "Don't worry, we can postpone our adventure."

"Sure, no skin off my back" Zoro confirmed.

'Wasn't he sleeping...again?' I thought.

As we were about to turn around a large shadow suddenly fell over us. I looked up and my eyes almost popped out of my head. A HUGE island with oars, flags and a lion figurehead FLEW over us and started hovering alongside us.

"What is that!?" Usopp yelled, terrified.

"R-Robin..." I started "Is that a-"

"A flying island?" She answered. "Yes, I haven't seen anything like it, if it didn't look so much like a ship it could be compared to Sky Island."

I looked over at Nami to see her staring at the ocean with a worried look on her face. "Nami? What's wrong?" I questioned.

"Everyone! There's a cyclone coming! We need to turn to 9 o' clock to avoid it! Franky! Turn us around! Everyone else brace yourselves!"

"Hey! What about those guys up there?" Luffy asked, he then began calling out and waving his arms around. "Heeeeeyyyyy! There's a storm coming! You gotta turn!"

"Luffy!" Usopp called desperately. "Don't call up to the scary floating ship!"

Just then a small seashell floated down to the Sunny. "Is this...a dial?" I asked.

Nami picked it up and turned it over in her hands. "Alright, I'll send a message up using this."

Zoro chose this moment to speak. "Maybe we shouldn't, they could attack us afterwards."

"Whats the matter shitty marimo? Scared of a floating island?" The argument escalated quickly.

"What did you say bastard!? I'll take all of them with one hand!"

"Shitty swordsman!"

"Ero-cook!"

BAM! BAM!

Two lumps appeared on their heads

"You two bakas shut up and get ready!" Nami growled.

"Yes Nami-swaaaan!" Sanji replied dreamily.

"Sea witch." Zoro mumbled.

BAM!

That one was from me. "Don't talk about Nami like that!" I yelled.

Nami sent a message up to the floating island to inform them of the cyclone. After preparing ourselves we barely managed to escape the cyclone after getting sucked in, everyone was thrown upwards from the air pressure.

"Aaaahhh! We're gonna die!" Usopp and Chopper screamed in unison.

"Marimo! This is all your fault!" Sanji yelled over the wind.

"You think this is my fault Curly-Brows!?" Zoro yelled back.

"Owowowow! This isn't so SUPER!" Franky yelled.

"Aiieeehh!" I heard a familiar scream.

"Nami!" I yelled. "Geppo!" I jumped of the air and grabbed her hand with one hand while grabbing the Sunny's railing with the other hand "I gotcha!" I screamed into the wind.

Afterwards we laid on the deck exhausted. "Is everyone all right?" Nami asked.

"We are fine Nami." Robin replied.

"Oh dear, I think my heart stopped...oh wait, I don't have one. Yohohoho!" Brook said.

"We're alive!" Usopp and Chopper cried to the heavens.

"Woo-hoo! That was fun! Let's do it again!" You can guess who that came from.

I sat up rubbing my forehead "I'm alive." I murmured.

I then felt a pair of feminine arms wrap around me, "Thank you Ellix." She said.

I smiled in return "I won't let anything hurt you." I looked up to see the floating island was still beside us as well. After organizing ourselves and hitting Luffy we noticed two figures were coming down from the island/ship.

One had golden hair, matching long robes, was smoking a cigar, and SWORDS FOR FEET AND HALF A SHIP'S WHEEL STICKING OUT OF HIS HEAD! The guy next to him had short, neatly combed silver hair, he was dressed in a white tuxedo with a red rose sticking out of his breast pocket, with black trousers and polished black shoes.

The two eventually floated down onto the deck, where we just stared at them. "I am Golden Lion Shiki of the Golden Lion pirates." He spoke in a commanding voice. "Which one of you recorded the message on that Tone Dial?"

I clasped Nami's hand in my own, but she gave me a reassuring smile "That would be me."

He smiled at her, his smile freaked me out. "Very well then, you have my thanks Baby Doll." I glared at him after the nickname and instantly decided I hated him.

It was then that Luffy stepped forward "Hey there! I'm-"

He raised his hand. "Please, you do not need to introduce yourselves." He turned to the smart-looking guy. "This is my first mate, Silver, I believe he can tell us."

'Silver' bowed to 'Shiki'. "Thank you Captain Shiki..." He whispered. I could barely hear him, I stepped forward to try to hear better.

"GREETINGS PIRATES!" He screamed at full volume. I fell backwards clutching my ears in pain.

'WHAT THE HELL!? ONE MINUTE HE'S QUITE NEXT HE'S LOUDER THEN LUFFY!?' I screamed in my mind over the ringing of my ears.

"Ellix! Are you ok?" Nami asked. I sat up still clutching my ears.

"ON CLOSER INSPECTION YOU APPEAR TO BE THE STRAW HATS!" He said full volume yet again.

"Silver has the largest knowledge on all pirate groups in the whole of the Grand Line." Shiki said smugly.

Silver turned to Luffy and pointed at him "MONKEY D. LUFFY A.K.A STRAW HAT LUFFY, BOUNTY 300,000,000 BERRI. CONSUMED GUM-GUM FRUIT!"

Luffy just smiled. "Shishishi! That's right!"

He then turned to Zoro. "RORONOA ZORO A.K.A PIRATE HUNTER ZORO, BOUNTY 120,000,000 BERRI. NO DEVIL FRUIT CONSUMED."

Zoro raised an eyebrow "What the hell?" He murmured.

He went round naming each of us in turn, listing names, titles, bounty, devil fruit powers (if any) until he finally came to me. "WODOS T. ELLIX! A.K.A ROKUSHIKI NIGHTMARE ELLIX, BOUNTY 240,000,000 BERRI! CONSUMED DREAM-DREAM FRUIT!" I had grown bored of his shouting and my ears hurt, but I was impressed by his facts.

"Hey." Luffy almost shouted himself, pointing to the island. "How did you get that thing to float?"

Shiki looked up at his ship and smiled. "Ahhh, that's because of the power of my Float-Float fruit, allow me to demonstrate." He walked over to one of Zoro's weights (How he could balance on those sword feet I have no idea) and placed his hand on it, then he lifted his finger and the weight shot into the sky as if it were a feather, much to the amusement of Luffy and Usopp.

"Sugoiii!" Luffy smiled with stars in his eyes "Do that to me too!"

The weight floated back down to its place on deck. "Unfortunately I cannot do that." Shiki replied. "I can make myself float, but not other people, only objects."

I raised an eyebrow and looked at Silver. "Wait... then how did Silver get down here?"

"I'M SO GLAD YOU ASKED!" He shouted. "BEHOLD!" He then began to walk up the side of the mast, causing Luffy to go sparkly-eyed again. "I ATE THE STEP-STEP FRUIT! WITH IT I CAN WALK ON ANYTHING: WATER, AIR, FIRE, WITHOUT FALLING OR INJURING MYSELF!" He then walked back down and bowed.

"Anyway, I would like to properly thank you kids." Shiki announced. "I invite you to join me on my ship for celebration."

"Sorry old man." Luffy said. "But we're heading back to East Blue at the moment, postponing our adventure."

I still hadn't got over the fact that Luffy was willingly putting his adventure on hold, but personally, I was worried as well. Was Orange Town ok?

Shiki then erupted in a booming laugh "Jihahahaha! I'm starting to like you kids. I get it, your worried about your friends and family, so I'll use my Devil Fruit powers to help you get back to East Blue."

Luffy looked at him with his silly grin. "Really? Thanks old man! You're the best!" He then turned to us. "Alright! We're off to the East Blue!"

"Yeaaahhhh!" Everyone cheered.

"YOU GUYS ARE FAR TOO HASTY!" Nami yelled.

Silver then bowed to Shiki. "Captain Shiki..." He whispered. "I must return to the ship..."

"Of course Silver." Shiki smirked. "Keep an eye on everything for me."

Silver then smiled at us "FAREWELL STRAW HAT PIRATES!" He screamed at us before walking on air back up to the island.

Thanks to Shiki's Devil Fruit the Thousand Sunny was soon flying through the air on the way to East Blue, with Luffy, Usopp and Chopper marveling at the fact we were flying. After flying for a while we had got pretty far, I had changed into the clothes I was currently in and was leaning over the edge of the Sunny.

"Ellix?" I turned to see Nami behind me.

"Oh...hey Nami." I sighed.

She rested an arm on my shoulder "Are you ok? Worried about East Blue?"

"Yeah...but I also don't trust Shiki."

She smiled at me. "Don't worry, we won't let anything happen."

I smiled back "Thanks Nami." I could always count on her.

The touching seen was interrupted by a straw-hatted captain. "Sugoiii! look at that!" I ran to the rail to join the three idiots.

I saw a group of floating islands, all different sizes and shapes, around a huge one with water in a ring around it. It was beautiful. "Ahhh...home sweet home." The Golden Lion said. "In that case..." I heard Nami shriek.

"Nami!" I yelled as I turned around to Shiki grab her, as we went to attack he placed his palm against the deck and we were suddenly falling.

"Jihahahaha! I've got your navigator!"

"NAMI!" Me and Luffy yelled. Luffy sent a rubbery fist upwards, but the attack was interrupted by the Sunny spinning around and whacking him away.

I dodged with Geppo only to see all my nakama fly off in different directions. "Guys!" Nami yelled.

I angrily stared up at him. "SHIKI!" I screamed using Geppo to jump above him.

"Ellix!" Nami yelled.

"Jihahahaha! Stubborn aren't you kid?" Shiki sneered.

"Give Nami back!" I shouted. "Rankakyu!" The silver wave flashed towards him, only to be intercepted by Shiki's own yellow wave from his sword legs, the two attacks cancelled each other out with an explosion.

I dashed forward in an attempt to grab Nami but was stopped by a strong grip to the face. "God dammit! Let go of Nami!" I felt my body being spun around so fast that I was gonna be sick. Then the grip released and everything was just spinning as I felt myself get thrown far, far away.

"Ellix!" I heard Nami call.

"Nami!" I called back as I felt myself painfully crash onto an island, separated...and alone.

 **Heyo! Sorry for not putting an A/N for the previous chapters.**

 **As a quick explanation, this is a compilation of all of my One Piece stories (excluding a few) and Wodos T. Ellix is an amnesiac raised in Orange Town, supposedly born in the New World. If you want any questions answered, then say so in a review, I'll answer as best as possible.**

 **I just want to say, thank you for reading! And I hope you have enjoyed it so far!**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Special Nakama

'Shiki...' I thought to myself. 'Didn't that stereotypical mexican Largo say something about joining a division back in Little East Blue?' I tried thinking back further but just ended up confusing myself more. 'Maybe I'm overthinking it...'

I steadily plodded along behind Luffy, still carrying Florina on my back. He seemed to be happily humming a song to himself while grinning like the idiot he is.

"Hey Luffy!" I called. "You ok?"

"Yep!" He replied. "Just a bit hungry."

"Nani!? But you just ate giant land squid tentacles!"

"But I'm still hungryyyy..." He whined.

I sighed to myself, how did this moron become my friend and captain?

Oh yeah, that's how.

 _Flashback_

I still couldn't believe he did it. Luffy had managed to beat Buggy and save my hometown. Easily! I had to admit, I was very impressed.

But of course there's a catch, he was pestering me to join his now three membered crew, saying it was because of my 'mystery power thing'.

"Join my crew!" Luffy yelled.

"Why should I?" I replied. "I was planning to sail solo."

"That's really cool, but why not come with me?"

I sweatdropped, was he listening to a single word I said? "Listen, I appreciate the offer, but I have my own dreams to fufill."

He tilted his head at me. "Really?"

"Yeah. I wanna become the world's greatest Rokushiki master!"

"You mean that mystery power thing?"

I once again sweatdropped. "Sure, why not. But...there's a different reason I wanna be a pirate, have you ever heard of the Blue Scarf Pirates?"

"Nope!" He bluntly proclaimed with a toothy smile.

"Well I became friends with the captain a few years ago. Back then I thought all pirates were evil, but this guy..." I smiled. "This guy was the nicest man I ever met. His name was Marcus and he was retired by the time I met him, he always told me stories of him and his crew's adventures in the Grand Line-"

"Sugoiii! He went to the Grand Line!?" Luffy yelled with sparkles in his eyes.

"That's right." I laughed. "He was the best friend I ever had, and he only had one regret in his life, do you know what it was?" Luffy shook his head like a little kid.

"That he didn't see the One Piece with his own eyes." I immediately crossed my arms and frowned. "And when those Buggy Pirates came along, I tried to help him leave, but more pirates appeared, and he died, protecting this village..."

I sighed. "So...I wanna see the One Piece, even if it's just so I can look at it and not touch it. To make sure that if there is a place we go to after...you know...I can tell him. Do you see now? I have to fulfill two dreams, by myself."

Luffy's hat seemed to be covering his eyes when he next spoke. "You have a dream of your own, and you wanna help this old guy..." For once he actually seemed deadly serious. "But that doesn't mean you have to find your dreams on your own. Guess that's your choice." He then stood up. "Ok then! See ya!" And started walking off.

I just stood there for a second, contemplating the actually smart words he just spoke before calling to him. "Listen Luffy, if you really want me to join your crew then-"

"Yay!" He cried wrapping his rubbery arm around me. "Skinny's our new nakama!"

"For the last time, my name's not Skinny!" I yelled at him with shark teeth. "It's Ellix! Wodos! T.! Ellix!"

"That's too long." He whined. "I'll just call you Ellix."

"That's what everyone calls me." I sighed in reply. "Also...wanna refresh me on what happened to the Mayor?"

"I knocked him out so he wouldn't hurt himself."

"...Remind me to punch you later."

As we walked down to the harbor, Zoro and Nami were waiting for us. "So, are you coming with us?" Zoro asked.

"Yep." I confirmed as Luffy hopped on. "You guys sail on first, I'll catch up."

"Why? And do you have a ship of your own?" Nami asked.

"I have my methods." I said as I helped push their ship off. "I just gotta say goodbye first."

"Stop right there you morons!" I jumped as the Mayor ran up next to me.

"Mayor!" Me and Luffy both gasped.

He panted for a bit, and I waited until he looked up with tears in his eyes. "Thank you! I owe you!"

"Don't worry about it!" Luffy waved. "Just live happy lives!"

"I don't know how to express my gratitude..." The Mayor sobbed.

I smiled. "Mayor...I'm planning to go with them."

"Huh? How will you...ah, I see. So you've finally made your choice?"

"If it's with a group like them, I couldn't be happier."

"Mayor Boodle!" The rest of the townspeople joined us. "Are you alright? And Ellix? Why are you here?"

"I'm fine." The Mayor reassured them. "And me and Ellix were just talking."

"Everyone...I'm leaving now." I said.

"Leaving?" A man echoed.

"What are you talking about Ellix?" A woman asked.

"I'm setting off with a pirate crew!"

"Nani!?" They all facefaulted.

"Ellix, you saw what pirates did to our town."

"I know, but these ones are different." I insisted. "I'm sorry, but I've made up my mind. We're heading to the Grand Line."

Everybody looked amongst themselves for a bit. "Well, Ellix...if this is your choice, then I wish you all the best."

"Just be careful okay?"

"Don't get into any dangerous scrapes!"

"Everyone..." I smiled. "Now that I'm leaving, I'm sad, you're all...the family I never had."

"Aw damn!" One man sobbed. "We try to give you a respectable farewell, and then you gotta say something like that!"

"We're all gonna miss you, Ellix!"

"Bark!" Chouchou plodded up to me.

"Hey Chouchou, take care of yourself." I petted him affectionately. "Mayor...thank you for protecting me all this time."

"You don't need protecting now." He smiled with teary eyes. "Good luck Ellix, I'll miss you."

I then noticed the one man I wanted to speak to. "Oren..."

The man was tall, with big, bushy snow white eyebrows, and a matching braided beard that reached down to his stomach, with wild white hair across the rest of his head, wearing a tattered white Marine jacket over a black tuxedo and slacks with a white tie, and supporting himself with a wooden cane that curved around like a seashell on the end.

Oren was the one who had adopted me, and trained me in the art of Rokushiki. He had previously been the leader of Cipher Pol, and the world's strongest Rokushiki user, even having his signature move, Shigan Oren, named after him. To me though, he was the closest thing I had to a parent ever since I was five...maybe I should have felt sad, saying goodybe to him. But all I felt in that moment was hope, and pride.

"No words are needed." He smiled. "Take care...Ellix." I smiled warmly as we bowed to each other.

"Oh yeah, one more thing." I dragged a bag over and opened it to reveal half of Buggy's treasure. "A present from my crew. There's 5 million Berri worth in here, it should be enough to restore the town, right?"

Everyone just stared with dropped jaws until they all began hugging me. "Ellix! You and your crew are the best!"

"There's...no way I can repay all this gratitude!" The Mayor cried with happiness. "Ellix, tell your friends thanks, from the bottom of my heart!"

"I will." I looked out to the two fading ships. "Well, I'm off...see you again, everyone." I took a running jump off of the edge. "Geppo!" I then kicked through the air onward, leaving the cheers of the town behind me.

"Sugoi! Ellix! Teach me how to do that!" Luffy yelled as I caught up to them.

I landed on Luffy and Zoro's ship. "Alright! I'm here!"

"Welcome aboard." Zoro smirked.

"Glad to see you gave your town a proper farewell." Nami nodded.

"I had to. It's the only place I've ever known."

"Okay!" Luffy pointed forward. "Let's go to the Grand Line!"

I shared everyone's smile as we let the waves and wind carry us, the unmistakable feeling of adventure rushing through my veins.

'I'm on my way, Marcus...'

 _Flashback End_

So yeah, Luffy came through for you when it really mattered.

We continued walking on until I heard a little voice come from behind my back. "Mr. Ellix..." Florina squeaked.

"What is it Florina?" I asked. In reply she used her good arm to point ahead of us, I followed the line of the finger until my eyes rested on a large creature blocking our path.

The world's fattest lion.

I immediately stopped and started to walk as quietly as I could around it. "Luffy!" I hissed. "Be very quiet! We don't want this thing-"

"HEY FATTY! GET OUT OF THE WAY!" Luffy screamed. Florina and me then watched in amazement and horror respectively as he stretched his arm back before slamming his fist into it's face. "Gum Gum Pistol!"

The lion woke up instantly with pure rage flashing in it's eyes. As it roared we started running. "You baka!" I roared myself. "What the heck did you do that for!?"

"It was in the way." He replied innocently.

"So you PUNCHED IT!? How would you feel if I came and punched YOU when you were sleeping!?"

He pondered this for a moment before replying. "I'd feel you'd be like Nami."

"That's not right!"

"Mr. Luffy! You really can stretch!" Florina yelled grabbing Luffy's cheek and stretching it. "Your so cool!"

He then began blubbering like a baby with sparkles in his eyes. "Flori called me cool!"

"You two are far too calm!" I yelled as the monstrous fuzz ball almost made me it's breakfast.

We had just happened to run into a giant scorpion nest. "Luffy! Whatever you do don't-"

He stomped on three of them.

We now had a four-creature mob chasing us.

"YOU UTTER BAKA!"

 _xxxStrongxWorldxxx_

I don't know how long we ran for, but I was exhausted, and that obese lion and scorpion trio were STILL after us!

"Ellix! Ellix! It's Sunny!" Luffy cried happily.

I faced forward and saw he was right! There was Sunny, stuck in the ground but there none the less.

"Sunny!" I called to our ship.

"Mr. Ellix! Mr. Luffy! That's your ship? It's so pretty!" Florina yelled.

"Luffy! We can't lead these things to Sunny!"

"Ok! Umm..." he seemed to be thinking when I heard a familiar voice.

"Ellix! Luffy!"

I stopped as soon as I heard it, making sure I wasn't imagining it, I turned to the supposed source. The first thing I saw was what looked like a giant duck crossed with a peacock. But then she was there. Wearing a two piece bikini and waving over at us. The most important person to me.

"Nami!"

 _Flashback_

I just stood there, to be honest, I didn't know what to do. She was wrapping bandages around her now wounded shoulder, still crying from Luffy's earlier statement. I slowly started walking until I felt a hand grasp my arm. I turned to the owner to see her looking at me with a mix of anger and sadness, tears streaming down her face.

"Your all bakas." She sobbed. "Your all gonna die against them for me, and it's all my fault, none of you can win...and I'll lose you too. Stupid, stupid baka." She directed at herself.

My heart was breaking just looking at her, wounded, crying and hating herself, no-one should ever feel like that. I knelt down and placed my hands on her shoulders. "Nami...look at me." I said in a soft voice. She turned her head away to avoid eye-contact. "Please, look at me."

She slowly turned her head to face me. "We will not die. Until Arlong Park is finished, none of us will stop fighting until we win! But you have to believe in us! Do you believe in us?"

She looked at me with tear-filled eyes. "I-I believe in you." She whispered.

I smirked, that was all I needed to hear. I stood up and turned around. "ARLONG!" I yelled. "WE'LL MAKE YOU PAY!" And I dashed off using Soru.

 _xxxStrongxWorldxxx_

Finally I reached the top of the mountain, holding Nami as tightly as I could against the wind and snow with a giant ominous castle standing before me.

"I made it..." I gasped. I looked back over the edge, 'But Luffy...' I mentally punched myself. 'No, Luffy will be fine, he always is. I have to find a doctor.'

I went to take a step but instead fell face-first into the snow, slinging Nami over my back so I didn't squash her. "What!?" I yelled into the wind looking back at my legs. They were completely exhausted from my over-usage of Geppo, and had become numb from the cold.

"Damn it!" I cursed, trying to punch some life back into them, but to no avail. Instead I kept Nami slung over my shoulder with one arm, whilst using my other arm to slowly drag my way through the snow. It felt like eternity until I reached the huge double doors.

I leaned Nami against them and proceded to bang against the door, or at least attempt to. "Hey!" I called in a hoarse whisper. "My nakama is sick! She needs help! Anyone!?" No reply. I leaned against the blockade between me and my goal, my body numbing from the cold.

I looked over at Nami and raised my hand to her forehead, instantly pulling away, it was red hot to the touch. With shaking arms I took off my large black coat and wrapped it around her, shivering from my loss of protection.

"N-Nami?" I asked. "C-Can you h-hear m-me?" She still sat there, not moving an inch. "I-I'm s-s-so sorry, I tried m-my best. B-But I'm not Luffy." I then did the only thing I could do, I pulled her close to me and wrapped her in my arms. "Don't w-worry, you're g-gonna be okay."

I could see black spots dancing at the edge of my vision. "You're gonna be okay, you're gonna be okay." The darkness around my eyes was slowly closing in. "You're gonna...be...o...kay..."

As I felt myself fall unconcious I heard the large doors swing open.

And I swear I saw Nami smile.

 _xxxStrongxWorldxxx_

I was sitting on the edge of Water 7 after our huge fight with CP9, still covered in a few bandages. I was wearing a dark green shirt with the Galley-La company logo printed in white on the front, along with some red shorts.

"Ellix?" I turned to the owner of the voice to reveal that it was Nami. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh nothing." I replied half-heartedly. "Just thinking."

"Mind if I join you?"

I looked at her for a second and smiled. "Sure!" She sat down next to me, like me, she was wearing a Galley-La shirt, except this one was yellow and the logo was orange. We sat in silence for a minute until Nami spoke up.

"Ellix...back at Enies Lobby...what Devil Fruit did you eat before you turned into...that?" She whispered.

"I ate the Dori Dori no Mi."

She frowned at me. "Dori Dori no Mi? So it's not a Zoan then."

I frowned myself. "No...it's a Paramecia, I don't know what happened back there, but I just felt really...dark. If you get what I mean."

"I think so." She replied.

I then gave a long loud yawn. Nami glared at me. "Sorry, am I boring you?"

"No no no! It's not that!" I replied frantically. "I think it's an after-affect of the Dori Dori no Mi, I feel really sleepy all of the time and I have a craving for cheese."

"I guess that makes sense." She said resting her head in her hands. "If it is called the 'Dream-Dream Fruit' it requires you to be asleep."

"That's right! Doririririri!" I clamped my hand over my mouth and Nami burst out laughing. "And that's another side affect. Luckily it doesn't happen all the time. Hahaha." The last part was to prove my point.

Nami sat up after her laughing fit. "So, any other side affects?"

"Well ever since Enies Lobby I've been having dreams every night."

"Really? What sort of dreams?"

I blushed. "Oh nothing."

"What are you hiding? You can tell me." She said in a sing-song voice. "Unless it's naughty."

My face heated up even more. "No! Nothing like that!" I sighed. "I've been dreaming...about...you."

Nami seemed taken aback by my answer. "I'm sorry, me?"

"Yeah." I said having a new-found interest in my own feet. "And not like that! Just, every time you're there, you're always happy and smiling and...that makes me happy too." I couldn't hear a reply. I started looking down at the water, since I couldn't swim anymore I guess I could just save myself the embarrassment.

I flinched at the touch of a hand to my face, and was forced to turn to her to see her...smiling? "That's pretty sweet of you, but I am gonna have to charge you for dreaming about me, you now owe me 5,000,000 berri."

"N-Naniiii!?" I yelled. "That much!?"

"Wellllll..." She sang with a smirk. "I could drop it all, if you do one little thing."

"Anything!"

"Tell me what I want to hear."

I crossed my arms. 'Tell her what she wants to hear? What does that mean?' Realisation dawned on me and I just stared at her.

"Well? Do you want your debt dropped or not?"

I swallowed the multiple lumps forming in my throat. "N-Nami." I stuttered. "I-I...I...I..."

"Yes?"

I murmured under my breath.

"Can you repeat that? I couldn't hear you."

I murmured again, louder this time.

"Once more?"

"Nami I love you!" I blurted out without thinking.

I wanted the ground to swallow me up as my face turned as ripe as a tomato and I started sweating nervously.

But she just smiled at me, making me as happy as I could be. "Right answer."

She then placed her hands either side of my face and kissed me. On the lips. Everything else just became meaningless in that kiss, the only thing that mattered was the woman in front of me.

When she pulled away she simply smirked at me and said: "When I think about it...I guess I love you too."

 _Flashback End_

So now me, my captain and my girlfriend were running away. "You bakas!" The red-head yelled. "Why'd you bring them over here!?"

I pointed an accusing finger at Luffy. "It's all his fault!"

"Nani!? Traitor!"

"Miss Nami is very scary..."

"Ellix! Who the hell is that!? Don't tell me you-"

"No! I would never! This is Florina! I'm helping her get home!"

It was at that point when we heard lots of zapping sounds coming behind us. We turned to see the duck/peacock standing triumphantly on top of an electrocuted lion and three fried scorpions. Luffy went into sparkle mode. "Sugoiii!"

"Phew, that was close." I said, letting Florina off. I then turned to Nami, panting and out of breath. "Sorry for not saving you." I mumbled sheepishly.

She just smiled and ran into my arms. "Silly baka." She whispered.

 _xxxStrongxWorldxxx_

Luffy, Florina and I were sitting around a campfire eating roasted scorpion (it's a lot less weird then it sounds) with our giant duck saviour. Nami had got some clothes from Sunny (I was able to have a wash! Sweet, sweet, hygiene!) and was changing behind a large boulder.

"Where are the others?" She called out from behind her temporary changing room.

"We haven't found them yet." Luffy replied with a mouthful of scorpion meat. "You're the second person I've found!"

I gave him a half-lidded look. "I found you, Luffy..."

"Anyway-" He continued. "-you should try some of this scorpion! It's really good!"

I turned around to face her and spat out my mouthful of scorpion in Luffy's face. Our ginger navigator was wearing a pair of VERY short shorts, a colourful top and had her hair done up into two small pigtails at the back of her head. I just continued to gawp.

"Hey Ellix!" Luffy cried. "What's the matter? Don't like your scorpion? Can I-"

I slapped his stretching hand away from my food. "You have your own." I told him.

He put on his pouty face. "Meanie. Well Billy likes it, don't you Billy?" Luffy turned to the duck who quacked in reply.

"Billy?" Nami asked.

"Yeah! I called him that cause he feels all tingly!" He then pinched Billy's cheek, giving him a shock in return, which Luffy just laughed off.

"Oh right." She said. "Since your rubber electricity doesn't hurt you." She then came and sat beside me. "And what have you been doing?"

I just shrugged. "Surviving, trying to find you and everyone else, the usual. Oh! And of course finding Florina's home!" I added, pointing to said girl.

Florina looked at us for a second, then looked over at my captain. "Mr. Luffy? Do Mr. Ellix and Miss Nami like each other?"

He grinned at her. "Yeah Flori! Ellix and Nami are special nakama!"

"That's what you call us anyway." Nami said politely turning down some scorpion.

Florina then turned on Nami with her huge grin. "So are you called Wodos T. Nami, Mrs. Nami?"

The red-head smiled. "Not exactly Florina, but we do love each other."

She just smiled again. "Okay! Mrs. Nami!"

I just smiled myself, I would do anything for Nami, especially if someone messed with her.

 _Flashback_

Me and Lola burst through the floor onto a very surprised Absalom and zombie priest. "Damn you Namizo!" Lola roared.

"I'm back, circus freak!" I yelled. "Where's Nami!?"

"You again!?" The man/animal yelled. "And Lola as well!?"

We literally crashed into the floor, glaring at the eater of the Suke Suke no Mi. During our journey on Thriller Bark I wore black slacks with a flame design from the ankles up to my knees, my shirt was purple with red chain designs, and I also had a painting of a black and white skull on the back of my right fist.

"Ellix!? Lola!?"

I turned to the owner of the voice and gasped. I know I had seen her after breaking in with Sanji, but I still couldn't get over how beautiful she looked in her white dress and veil, and this time she was awake! "A goddess!?" I blurted out. "Oh wait! No... your definitely human Nami, as close as you can get though." I ran up to her, fighting back the urge to burst into tears and say she deserved so much better then me.

"You and Lola really came after me!?" Nami proclaimed.

"Of course!" I looked at Absalom with pure hatred. "No way was I gonna let you marry THAT."

"Namizo!" Lola yelled at us. "How dare you take Absalom away from me!"

"W-Wait Lola! I didn't agree to it!"

"NO WAY DID SHE AGREE TO IT! THAT DAMN MUTANT FORCED HER TO!" I shouted.

"Lola." Absalom growled. "That woman is my future wife, step aside."

"SHE IS NOT! YOU STAY AWAY FROM HER PERVERT!"

"Absalom! Ellix! You must know the truth!" Lola yelled, pointing a sword at Nami. "That is Namizo! And she is actually a man!"

"NANIIIIII!?" Me and Absolom screamed together.

"N-Nami isn't a man Lola! I know for a fact!" I proclaimed remembering 'Happiness Punch'.

"And I peeped at her in the bath!"

"SHUT UP!" I roared attempting to punch him while being held back by Nami.

Lola then started an onslaught on the both of us. "I'll make you pay Namizo!" We rapidly ran backwards to avoid the blades.

"Lola!" Absalom said. "That's my future wife your attacking!"

"IT IS NOT!"

"Ellix!" Nami whispered. "The attacks are deliberately missing us."

"What?" I studied the swords movements closely and discovered that Nami was right.

"It's okay Namizo, Ellix." She told us in a hushed tone. "You must go and be happy together."

"Wow." I started. "Thanks Lol-Hey wait! I don't swing that way! Nami isn't a man!"

"Run now you two!" She yelled as she leaped towards Absalom. "Marry me Absalom!"

"No way!" He replied.

Nami grabbed my hand and started running. "Come on you baka!"

"My bride is escaping with that strawhat crew member!" I heard a certain freak yell. A loud bang was then heard and we turned to see Lola passed out, smoke coming off of her.

"Lola!" We yelled together.

Absalom stood there panting. "How dare you make me waste an attack on such a weak zombie." He sneered.

I was about to smash his face in using Soru when Nami grabbed my wrist. She was clutching her Clima-tact in her other hand. I stopped and walked over to the side, simply watching as the red head slowly walked over to Absalom, half of her weapon detached and spinning while charging up electricity.

"So..." Absalom panted. "You've finally given up huh?" He then turned to me. "And you as well? Excellent." Nami was almost in front of him, the Clima-tact sparking with electrical energy. "Let's finish our wedding shall we?"

She then brought the spinning rod down onto his unsuspecting skull, his whole body lighting up yellow. "Swing Arm!" She yelled. Absalom then stood there, frozen. "I know that didn't work the last time, but I had to do something!" It was then that he collapsed backwards. We stared at him for a minute before Nami cheered. "Alright! It worked!"

We suddenly heard shallow breathing from a certain zombie. "Lola!" Nami cried. We both rushed over to the wounded warthog. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine Namizo, I am just glad you are safe."

"Lola, there's something you should know, I really am a woman!"

She chuckled. "You baka, I already knew that." She then turned to me. "Ellix, you must take care of Namizo, do you promise?"

I nodded with tears in my eyes. "Of course! I'm the luckiest guy in the world to have her!"

The zombie smiled. "Good. Now get going, your nakama are battling Oars as we speak." And with that she passed out.

We regrettably left her and ran down the long dark hallway. "Thanks for coming to save me." Nami said while running.

"I would never let a guy like Absalom take you away!" I then started crying again. "Your too beautiful to be with me! You should find someone else!"

"What are you talking about you baka!? You sound like Sanji!" She yelled.

"Yeah, I've been around him too long." I said, switching to a deadpan tone, I smiled at her. "But you really do look beautiful."

She blushed slightly. "You sweet baka. This isn't the time for that! Let's get to Sunny and see if it's okay!"

"Right!" I agreed as we exited the castle. We suddenly heard another loud bang, we both turned to see Oars stuck in the ground, legs flailing in the air and his loincloth falling below his-

"WE SAW NOTHING!" The two of us yelled in unison before dashing off as fast as possible.

 _Flashback End_

I started crying again. "I'm too lucky to have her! It must be a crime or something!"

"Ellix is acting weird again!" Luffy called as if telling a teacher.

"People who like each other are so weird, right Mr. Luffy?" Florina spoke up.

He nodded with a child-like understanding. "Special nakama are weird."

Nami glared at the captain then turned on me. "Baka, always degrading yourself, you should have a little more faith, I don't mind being with you."

I slightly blushed. I can't say I think of myself as attractive. My dark-brown hair is the same length as Luffy's, though unlike his, which sticks out every way possible, mine is neatly combed. Nami always says she likes my eyes, I just see them as being blue. And yes, I'm skinny, but at least I'm a bit taller then Luffy, AND I don't have any scars. But I'm humble enough to admit that without Rokushiki I would be nowhere near him in terms of physical strength.

Nami suddenly got Berri signs in her eyes. "Now if only you were a little more rich." I rolled my own eyes as she abruptly stood up. "Okay, we've wasted enough time here, let's go find everyone else."

Luffy did his trademark grin and stuffed the rest of the scorpion into his bottomless stomach before standing up and thrusting his fists into the air. "Yosh! Let's go find our nakama!"

 **Another new, revised chapter. Just to let you guys know, there re going to be quite a few flashbacks in the Strong World Arc, just to build some background for Ellix. Next chapter though, fight scenes! Hooray!**

 **As always, thank you for reading! See you next chapter!**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Old Foes once Fought

"Zzzzz...zzzz...zzzzz..."

"Mr. Ellix? Are you asleep?"

My eyes snapped open to see Florina standing over me and biting her lip. "Yeah, don't worry Florina." I mumbled. "Ever since I ate the Dori Dori no Mi for me taking a nap is like Luffy eating meat, I feel much better." I jumped up and smiled at my two nakama. "So you're gonna ride Billy?"

Nami smiled. "Yep, are you sure you can keep up with us using Geppo and carrying Florina?"

"No problem! If I can use it to climb a mountain I can keep up with Billy. You ready Florina?" I looked down at the small girl to see her biting her lip again. "Florina? What's wrong?"

She looked up at me with glassy eyes. "Mr. Ellix...I miss my family..."

I patted her head with a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, we'll find your family, I promise."

"Shishishi!" Luffy chuckled. "Your lucky Florina! Ellix doesn't even know his family."

I turned on him with shark teeth. "Baka! Don't tell her that!"

"Mr. Ellix...You've never seen your family?" She said sadly.

I sighed. "Yeah, I was literally dropped off by a News-Coo in Orange Town with a letter containing my name, the chest containing the Dori Dori no Mi, and the key for it. Oren found me in a wooden basket."

She just stared at me. "Oren?"

"The man who trained me in Rokushiki." I said with a smile. "Oren was a Marinevwho was forced to retire in Orange Town due to having too many battle wounds, seeing as no-one else could take me in he took care of me and trained me since I was five."

"Mr. Oren sounds really nice!"

"Apart from his discipline..." I mumbled. "But yes, he is pretty nice."

 _Flashback_

"Hey, Oren." I called. "How did you become the leader of Cipher Pole?"

His tattered Marinevcoat fluttered in the breeze behind him. "Through hard work and training, that is how you succeed in life."

"I don't get it."

"Of course you wouldn't, you're five years old, but you should become stronger, that's why I plan to teach you Rokushiki." He snorted.

"Nani!? Really? That would be cool! But..." Tears started to form in my eyes. "Am I ever gonna see my own family ever again?"

He turned to me. "The letter said that you came from the New World, if you ever hope to reach there then you must become stronger if you truly want to meet your family."

I sniffed back my tears. "Okay Oren."

He nodded. "Good, now we start immediantely! Move those legs!"

He then proceeded to chase after me. "Ahhhh! Stop it, Oren!"

 _Flashback End_

Seeing as Orange Town was the only place I knew, I always considered it the place I was 'born', but I still carried the letter, chest and key around with me. Hoping that I could find my real family in the New World.

"I'm sorry Mr. Ellix, I'm worried about my family and you don't even know yours." Florina started biting her lip again.

I just smiled. "Don't worry about it, I'm used to it, but I'm sure that your family misses you too."

"Okay." She whispered. "I'll try not to be sad anymore."

She climbed up onto my back while Luffy and Nami sat on Billy, if it was Sanji I'd have been worried, but I'm 99.9% sure Luffy's asexual.

"Mr. Ellix. You and Mr. Luffy are really strong. Have you beaten a lot of bad people?"

"Shishishi! Hell yeah! We kicked loads of guys as-"

I clamped my hand over his mouth. "Don't swear in front of little kids Luffy!"

"Nani? Why?" He mumbled through my hand while tilting his head.

Nami just sighed. "Baka."

"But we did!" Luffy cried. "We beat Arlong, those number guys, Crocodile, Earlobes, Pigeon guy and Moriah."

Florina just laughed. "Those are really funny names!"

"They weren't actually called that Florina." Nami spoke up.

"Yeah." I said. "But Luffy really did beat them."

"Mr. Luffy beat them? Then who did you beat?"

If I could I would have crossed my arms. "The first person I beat as a strawhat? I guess that would have been...Fyuro at Arlong Park. They hurt Nami so we had to go and beat him up."

"Yeah!" Luffy yelled. "We had to go and beat up that Arlong bast-" I placed my hand over his mouth yet again.

"Really?" Florina suddenly got her huge grin. "So you and Mr. Luffy were like knights saving Princess Nami?"

"Sure, why not?" I replied with a shrug. "That guy was really annoying though..."

 _Flashback_

I dashed into Arlong Park, Luffy was currently fighting the man himself and Zoro and Sanji were resting. Since I left Orange Town I wore a blue shirt with a yellow 'Criminal' brand on the front with some blue jeans and a chain attached to my waist which was also connected to my key in my pocket.

"Luffy!" I yelled.

"Another one?" I heard a deep voice say. I turned to see a grey fishman with a toned body, wearing a green lotus patterned shirt and a red belt, with black shorts and red sandals.

"Who are you?" I called.

"My name is Fyuro, a clouded archer fishman, and first mate to Arlong-sama."

I instantly went on the offensive. "You work for Arlong!? The guy Luffy's fighting? The guy who made Nami cry!?"

He smirked. "The very same." He got into a battle stance. "So human...what am I to you?"

I dashed forward with Soru and smashed his stomach with a lightning speed fist, sending him flying into a wall. "My enemy."

He immediately stood up, looking more annoyed then injured. "Do all of you REALLY think you can defeat Arlong Park? We are fishmen! Chosen to be the stronger species!"

I punched him with Soru again, making him smash into the wall a second time. "If you're a fishman, then I'm a superhuman!"

He got up again, this time angry. "Superhuman? Don't make me laugh! Those two words don't belong in the same sentence let alone together in one word!" He dashed forward and pulled an open palm back. "Now take this! Fishman Karate! Hyakumaigawara Yashi!" His open palm descended towards my chest.

"Tekkai!"

My body shuddered from the impact and a small amount of steam came of his palm, but I remained unharmed. He did an incredible face-fault at the lack of damage. "Wow! Your really strong! I'm really glad your my first opponent." I said with a smile.

He glared at me. "Are you mocking me human!?" He roared as he punched me in the face after my Tekkai disengaged. I smashed into the opposite wall with a cry of pain.

"Gaahhh! That hurt!" I yelled clutching my face.

"So...I guess you really are just all talk." I heard him say.

"You just surprised me, that's all! I will beat you and Luffy will save this innocent village!"

"Oh? So who is innocent here? These humans? They are under the crime of being weak."

"You don't get to decide that!" I retorted, leaping into the air. "Rankyaku!" I slashed my leg through the air towards him, causing him to leap towards me, narrowly avoiding the silver wave. "Geppo!" I jumped out of the way in mid-air before he could ram into me, both of us landing on either side of the water.

"You have some fancy tricks for a human." He sneered. "But that's all they are."

"Soru!" I yelled, dashing in front of him. "Shigan!" I stabbed my finger into his stomach, but instead of creating a bullet wound it left a deep bruise.

"Did you really think you could pierce a fishman's body with just your finger?" He suddenly dipped his hand in the water and wrapped a small amount in his palm. "Human skin however, is weak, and can be pierced easily." He then threw a glob of water at me. "Uchimizu!" The water shot at me with surprising velocity, so much that I didn't have enough time to react as it hit me in the stomach, spraying blood.

"Glack!" I coughed as blood flew out of my mouth. Staggering backwards and regaining my balance, covering my new wound. "Damn it...Shigan!" I attempted to stab him but instead he leaped into the water. I scanned it's surface looking for the fishman, when suddenly another water shot flew out of the water. "Kami-E!" My body leaned to the side to avoid the attack, along with five more before he leaped out towards me.

"Die human!"

"Soru!" Again I dodged and leapt towards him. "Rankyaku Hoiru!" I leaped into the air and spun around, slamming my silver leg into his face, making him skid across the floor. He got up but before he could recover I rugby tackled him. "Soru Tekkai!" The added speed and iron strength tackle made him shoot off through one of the many holes in the wall. However he just stood up and charged again with pure hatred written in his eyes.

"You shitty piece of trash! You really think you can win!?" He grabbed onto my arm and readied his palm.

"Rankyaku!" I shot my leg up in a silver line, slamming into his jaw. "Shigan! Shigan! Shigan!" I stabbed him three times in the chest, leaving more red bruises.

"You are in too over your heads you bastards!" He dipped his hand in water again.

"Geppo!" I leaped into the air and kicked off of it multiple times, gaining some distance between the two of us.

"Uchimizu Mori!" The water shot out again, this time in the shape of a harpoon, I gasped as I quickly realized it was much faster and could only move enough so that it slashed my side and didn't kill me. I gritted my teeth in pain as I crashed onto the cold stone floor beneath me. "Uchimizu!" I leaped to the side as another water shot fired towards me.

"Soru!" I dashed forward and kneed him in the stomach. Making him skid back.

"Uchimizu!"

"Kami-E!"

I swayed to avoid the attack as he leapt forward and attempted to punch me. "Rankyaku!" I shot a silver wave into his chest, making him skid back again.

"Uchimizu Mori!" The water harpoon shot at me again forcing me to dodge again. He was giving me the run-around and I was tired of it.

"Rankakyu Hoiru!" This time I leapt in the air and spun my silver leg so it would crash down on his head, smashing him into the ground.

He grabbed at my leg and I could only watch in disbelief as he dangled me upside down and pulled his palm back.

"Senmaigawara Yashi!"

"Tekkai!"

The palm smashed into my chest with devastating velocity, smashing through my technique and shooting me into the wall, creating yet another hole. I got up coughing blood and clutching my (I was pretty sure at the time) broken ribcage.

"Still alive?" He said. "You are persistent for a lesser species, but going against a fishman is declaring death upon yourself! Uchimizu!" He sent another shot towards me.

"Soru!" I dashed past the liquid, clutching my chest in pain. I grabbed his arm with what little strength I had. "Soru!" I threw him over my head, smashing his face into the ground with lightning speed. Then continued doing it. "I don't care what you look like! I don't care what you call yourself! I don't care who you are! But If you mess with my nakama, I will come after you! Because they'd do the same for me!" I threw him into the wall yet again. Heavily panting.

He got up and glared at me in hatred. "Don't make me laugh! You damn humans are weak and beneath us! Your all weak bastards who can't even protect a single person! Just like that woman years ago!"

My mind flashed back to the story Nojiko told us, and I glared at him with rage of my own. "Take that back! She died protecting the only things she cared about! If that isn't true strength I don't know what is! Because of you Nami was left all alone!" I dashed at him and put all of my energy into my right arm.

"Shigan Oren!" I started stabbing my finger into his body as fast and as quickly as possible.

"You...can't...win..." He grunted as I continued my attack. I kept stabbing until I finally drew blood. "Wh-What!? Im...possible!"

"Ahhhhhhhhh!" I roared.

Finally I slowed down, my arm burning and my whole body exhausted. Fyuro finally collapsed backwards, eyes rolled into the back of his head. I sat down, heavily panting...just as a table landed in front of me.

"What the-?" I looked up to see pieces of furniture being shot out of Arlong Parks tower.

"Ellix...Luffy..."

I turned to see Nami at the entrance, covering her mouth and tears streaming down her face. I just smiled, as I heard a massive smash I looked up in shock as the tower collapsed on top of me.

"Ellix! Luffy!"

 _Flashback End_

"You could've warned me when you brought the whole tower crashing down." I mumbled.

I had told my story to Florina, obviously leaving out the gory detail and swearing, and she was practically drooling over us. "Mr Ellix and Mr Luffy are so sugoi, they really are like knights!"

"We're not knights! We're pirates!" Luffy yelled back.

"But that is a nice thing to say Florina." Nami said looking at Luffy. "Thanks again for that you guys."

"Shishishi! We're your nakama! Of course we kicked Arlong's-"

I just had to look at him this time.

"Are we all ready then?" Nami called.

"Ready!" Me and Florina called back.

"Yosh! Let's go Billy!"

Billy quacked in reply and took off, with me dashing alongside with Geppo. "Mr Ellix! Who else did you beat?"

Luffy looked over at us. "We beat Croc-guy! He was messing with Vivi's country!"

"Oh yeah, at that time I battled...Wait! Luffy! You missed someone out!"

Luffy tilted his head and strained his face. "I did? You mean that 3 guy?"

"No, not him, you remember Wapol?" I asked.

He seemed to strain more before hitting his palm with his fist. "Ohhh! That fat guy!"

"Sure, why not?" I said sweat-dropping.

"So...who did you fight Mr Ellix?"

I smiled remembering. "Wapol's older brother. Musshuru!"

 _Flashback_

Luffy dashed into Nami's room, I had been with her ever since she woke up. His eyes darted around the room, looking for something.

"Luffy? What are you doing?" Nami asked.

He turned to us as if he hadn't noticed us. "Oh! Nami! Ellix! Nothing's wrong! There's not a fight going on outside or anything! I'm just looking for something warm!"

We both just sweat-dropped at him. "You're a terrible liar..." I mumbled.

Nami sighed. "You can use my coat, but don't you DARE damage it!" She pointed over to it.

"Ah! Arigatou, Nami!" He said before pulling it on and dashing off.

I got up and turned to her. "I'd better go, will you be okay here on your own?"

She pouted at me. "I'm not some damsel in distress you know."

"I-I know!" I replied waving my arms frantically. "I was just worried."

"Fine, fine, just go."

I quickly grabbed my coat and threw it on. "Sorry!" I called as I ran off after Luffy.

When I reached the main doors I was met with the thing I least expected to find. Chopper, Sanji and Doctorine, Wapol who now looked like some kind of weird house-tank, a freakish mixture of Chess and...something-Marimo? And some guy who looked like Wapol, except he had slightly pink hair in a bowl cut, a white fox scarf, a purple cape, and regal looking attire, he was also wearing some kind of eye-mask, and instead of a metal chin he had a moustache/beard combo.

I looked above me to see my captain on the top tower, protecting Dr. Hililuk's flag from attack. "You see? It can't be broken." He plunged it back down into the tower just as Wapol's look-alike appeared next to him and kicked him off.

"Luffy!" Me, and Sanji yelled as Chopper watched on. The slim version of the over-eater suddenly launched hundreds of violet energy shots at my captain from his hair.

"Shade Dance!" He yelled as the attack met its target, shooting him into the ground.

"H-Hey! Are you okay!?" Chopper called out.

"I'm fine." Luffy replied, standing up. "'Cause I'm made of rubber." The altered copy started an onslaught of punches and kicks on him, forcing him backwards.

"Rubber? How is that possible?" Chopper asked Sanji.

He smiled in return. "He ate a Devil Fruit, he's a monster." It was then he noticed me. "There you are, how's Nami-san?"

"Don't worry, she's fine." I was totally glued on Luffy's battle as his opponent turned his right arm into a drill.

"Sting Drill!" His transformed arm bore into Luffy's back and sent him sprawling across the snow. He then closed in for another attack.

"Luffy!" I yelled. I dashed between the two of them and stopped the punch from connecting.

"Ellix!"

"Luffy! Take care of Wapol! I've got this guy!"

"Okay! Arigatou! Kick his ass!"

I then turned to face my second powerful opponent as a pirate. "So...who are you?"

"I am Musshuru, older brother of Wapol." He sneered. "I don't believe we met earlier?"

"Rokushiki User Ellix, bounty 10,000,000 berri, Lookout of the Straw-Hat Pirates!"

He looked at me with disgust. "Don't try to impress me with titles."

"I'm not! I carry them with pride!" I retorted firmly.

"Let's see where your pride gets you. Sting Drill!" His arm transformed and drilled right through me! Or rather my after-image as I dashed behind him with Soru. I tried to punch him in the face but he blocked it with his left arm, after weaving behind him to dodge a right hook I tried to round-house kick him, but he simply ducked and tried to uppercut me, forcing me to jump back. I charged at him and our fists connected, our foreheads pressed against each other so our faces were inches apart.

He frowned at me. "You're fast."

I frowned back. "So are you." We leapt away from each other, skidding against the snow. "Those drill and shot techniques, did you eat a Devil Fruit?"

He smirked. "The Noko Noko no Mi. With it I can generate spores from my body."

I crossed my arms. "Noko is short for 'mushroom', and some of them release spores, so in a way it's also called the Spore-Spore Fruit."

"Call it what you will, Shade Dance!" The pink bullets were shot again, this time towards me.

"Soru!" I leapt into the air to avoid it. 'So those bullets are actually concentrated spores.' I thought. "Rankyaku Ran!" I moved my legs as fast as possible, sending multiple silver waves towards him, all of which he avoided by jumping backwards.

"Take this!" He yelled as long purple vine like spores shot up towards me.

"Geppo!" I kicked off of the air to avoid the attack and slam myself into the ground, only grazing Musshuru. We both charged each other with a battle cry, slamming each other with our fists and legs, I could only barely keep up with him using Soru, and it was really intense. He brought his leg up and slammed it into the ground where I once stood. I had dashed behind him and leapt into the air. I brought both my fists crashing down but he only had to backstep behind me. He threw his fist at me and I blocked it with my palm, but he was much stronger then me and quickly the fist slammed into my face, throwing me back.

"Lot Stiffen!" Suddenly six purple clones of Musshuru surrounded me.

"Tekkai!" I put up my defence as they began rapidly punching me, causing me only minimal damage. "Rankyaku Hoiru!" I jumped and whipped my leg in a full circle, causing them all to disappear in a puff of purple spores.

"Sting Drill!" My opponents arm transformed and spun into my stomach, not enough to pierce me but it still damn hurt! He then grabbed my face with his other hand and leapt into the air, slamming my head into the snow and creating a crater in the process, which he simply backflipped out of. "Do you know who we are? We are the rulers of the Drum Kingdom, no-one dares stand against us...and now you know why." He lectured me.

I stood up, coughing a small amount of blood and faced him. "This battle isn't over yet!" He seemed slightly shocked at my remark, I readied my finger and aimed at him. "Shigan Dangan!" I poked the air itself, sending a compressed air bullet into his stomach, making him skid back, as I leapt out of the crater I saw he was wounded, but there was no bullet-hole. If I didn't believe he was tough until this point, I certainly did now.

"Soru! Shigan!" I dashed towards him and tried to pierce him multiple times, but he simply dodged and leapt back again.

"Run Hypha!" This time a load of white spores ran through the ground in my direction.

"Soru!" I dashed into the air again, looking back I saw the spores had hardened into a twisted unnatural sculpture. 'I DON'T want that to hit me.'

"You can't run forever!" More spore tendrils were sent up at me.

"Geppo!" I charged at him from the air again.

"Sting Drill!" This time he aimed for my face, creating a cut on my left cheek as I skidded behind him. "Run Hypha!" I dodged the second white spore wave and dashed forward with a battle cry. Our fists met again, this time I applied enough pressure to slam his fist into the ground and dash behind him before he could jab me with his other hand. Our legs clashed together like swords until we broke away.

"Sting Drill!"

"Shigan!"

We weaved, bent and ducked to dodge each others moves whilst trying to get a hit in ourselves, we both went back to fist-fighting to try to get a hit in.

"Kami-E!" My body leaned left and right to avoid his punches before I brandished my finger. "Shigan Oren!" I jabbed my finger into his stomach until he was blown away into a tree where he went limp. 'Did I get him?' Suddenly he leapt towards me, I barely dodged and tried to punch him before he disappeared. 'Where is he?' I thought frantically as I scanned the snowy terrain.

"Sting Drill." I heard from behind me. I felt the drill hit my back and throw me forward into the snow. "Run Hypha!" The white spores hit my whole left side, I looked at it in horror as my arm and leg were encased in a spiky statue. "Snow Spore!" A cloud of purple spores washed over me, and I instantly had trouble breathing and my strength completely left me. The whole world seemed to go fuzzy as I collapsed into the snow, and I saw my opponent smile and walk off...

 _xxxStrongxWorldxxx_

"...llix!"

I thought I heard something. Did I imagine it?

"...upid...man!...ke...p!"

"El...ba...pen...r mo...!"

The world seemed to be coming back into focus as I felt some sort of liquid run down my throat. Chopper and Nami were standing over me.

"Ugghh...What happened?" I groaned.

"You got poisoned you stupid baka!" Nami yelled at me with her hands on her hips.

Everything came flooding back and I shakily got up. "How did I survive?"

She held up a glass test-tube with a light blue liquid in it, now half empty. "Your lucky I managed to swipe this off of that spore user."

"How much do I owe you?"

"750,000 Berri."

It took all my willpower not to groan before I headed for the castle. "Stupid human! Where are you going?" I heard Chopper call after me.

"To find Musshuru!"

"NANI!?" Nami yelled. "You just lost to him!"

"I didn't lose! I just got poisoned! I'll be much more careful this time!"

"YOU STUPID BAKA! GET BACK HERE!"

"Sorry Nami!" I called again as I dashed inside. I instantly found him with...his SLIM BROTHER!? Oh, and they were battling Luffy together. "Hey!" I screamed at him. As he turned to face me I punched him in the face with Soru, making him smash into the wall. "I told you this battle isn't over yet!"

"Ai-chan!" Wapol yelled as his brother was sent through the wall.

"Ellix!" Luffy said happily. "See dome-head? Ellix isn't dead!"

I leaped through the new hole to find myself in a frozen dome room covered with snow. Musshuru was staring at me angrily. "How did you survive my spores?"

"I took the antidote." I said plainly.

He seemed confused and checked his pocket, face-faulting afterwards. "Ehhhh!? It's not here!" He turned to me, clenching his fist. "Clever, but you won't survive a second dose! Run Hypha!" This time I anticipated the attack and leapt away. "Snow Spore!" The ominous cloud headed towards me again.

"Shigan Dangan!" My air bullet shot through the cloud, allowing me a safe passage to jump through.

"Lot Stiffen!" Six more violet clones came towards me, but this time I just dashed past them. Our fists met again, and again, and again as we started an onslaught of punches against each other, cancelling out each time, we eventually broke away. When I suddenly fell to my knees.

"D-Damn it!"

"You've still got some poison inside you haven't you?" He said as he charged me. "Sting Drill!" I ducked as he slashed my other cheek, drawing blood.

I hissed at the pain but jumped into the air. "Soru!" I brought both my legs crashing down on his head, squashing him like jelly before he popped back up coughing blood. "Soru!" I shot him in the stomach with both my feet, shooting him into the wall.

"Shade Dance!" Purple shots hit me from the smoke, pushing me against the opposite wall. "Sting Drill!" The powerful attack smashed me through the stone barricade and I landed outside in the snow, my whole body hurting badly and twitching from the poison.

"Do you know what is unique about my Devil Fruit?" My opponent said. "Every 10 years I must release a large amount of spores to balance myself out, and that time has come again. It'll flush all of you out of this castle like rats from a sewer."

My eyes widened. "Y...Your brother and those two-gack!...Are still here!"

"They already know, they'll be long gone, and all of you won't survive!"

He brought his leg around to kick me in the side. "Tekkai!" The leg slammed into me, causing my weak knees to buckle. "Damn you...stay away from my treasure!" I punched him in the stomach and threw him back, then I dashed onto the roof of the castle with Musshuru in hot pursuit.

"Shade Dance!" I barely managed to dodge the attack, my whole body violently shuddering. "Your treasure? Have you hidden jewels in this castle or something?"

I panted heavily. "I realised...huff...during my journey...huff...that my treasure..." I glared at him. "Are my nakama!"

"Your nakama? They won't be around much longer! Sting Drill!" I dodged thanks to a spasm of pain, only to be punched in the face and sent sprawling across the tiles. "The Fatal Bomb is almost ready! All of you will vanish in spores!"

He went to punch me again, but I ducked at the last second. "I won't let that happen! Rankyaku!" The wave hit him square in the chest, knocking him into the air.

"Shigan Akai Hasu!"

"Shade Dance!"

I threw both of my fingers rapidly at him, until it looked like they were multiplying, cancelling out Shade Dance and hitting Musshuru in the process, until he was launched into the tower left of the flag, I looked up at the right one to see a victorious Luffy giving me the thumbs up. I returned the gesture and dashed into the left tower, stamping hard on Musshuru's gut.

"Soru..." I began winding up my arm so fast it turned into a rotating flesh wheel. Mushuru's eyes widened in horror.

"W-Wait! Stop Rokushiki! The Fatal Bomb is complete! You don't want to risk you nakama's life do you!?"

I pulled my arm back so fast it wasn't even a blur.

"T-T-This is the end! Fatal Bo-"

"Ken!"

I slammed my fist into his face, feeling bones crack and blood stain my hand as I threw him with my fist far into the distance until he couldn't be seen. I saw a large cloud of purple spores appear in the distance, it quickly spread for a moment before evaporating in the air.

I finally let myself fall back to rest, unfortunately I forgot I was on a tower and fell to my death until an arm wrapped around me and snapped back to it's black haired owner.

"Hey Ellix?" Luffy asked. "What's wrong? Do you need meat?"

"Luffy...I would LOVE some meat right now."

He did his trademark grin. "Shishishi! Me too! Hey! Wanna help me catch that reindeer?"

"Apart from Chopper..." I mumbled while sweat-dropping.

 _Flashback End_

"Mrs. Nami stopped you from being poisoned Mr. Ellix! She's a hero!"

"We're not heroes! We're pirates!" Luffy put on his pouting face. "I wish I could've beat that guy..."

"It's still frightening to think a Devil Fruit can unleash something like a Fatal Bomb..." Nami said with her head on her hands.

"Luffy, by the time I beat him I was hurt, tired and poisoned! I don't think you would have wanted to battle him." I argued.

"Eh? That sounds like when I battled Crocodile." Luffy replied with a tilted head.

"Never mind." I muttered under my breath.

Just then the little body on my back started squirming around. "Mr Ellix! Mr Ellix! I can see my village!"

"Really?" I said. "Where?"

With her good arm she pointed to a nearby island. It definitely looked different from the others, as I could see a group of houses nestled in the middle. "See Florina? I told you I'd get you home!"

She hugged my neck. "Thank you so much Mr Ellix! You too Mr Luffy and Mrs Nami!"

We all smiled. "No problem! Shishishi!" Luffy laughed.

Nami patted Billy's neck. "Billy? Can you take us down there?"

We started descending towards the island, but then Billy recoiled, shaking it's head around with a sickly look on it's face, before frantically flying off in the opposite direction.

"Billy!? What's wrong!?" Nami called.

"Hey Billy! Where are you going!?" I called as I chased after it.

 **So yeah, this chapter was centered around Ellix's earliest accomplishments...and also because I wanted to write fight scenes. I love doing those.**

 **Thanks again for reading! I'll see you in the next chapter!**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Reunion

Billy eventually landed on an island far away from our destination, looking very queasy indeed.

"Ne, what's wrong Billy? Do you need meat?" Luffy questioned the bird.

"Not everything can be solved with meat Luffy." Nami sighed. "There might be something wrong with him."

"Nani!? Billy's gonna die!?" Both Luffy and Billy got a terrified look on their faces.

"It might be because of the Daft Green plants." Florina spoke up.

"Daft Green plants?" Nami asked.

"Yeah, my mummy always said that animals don't like the smell of them, so they keep away."

I crossed my arms. "That would explain why your village hasn't been attacked."

"Hold on a second..." Nami fished in her pocket until she pulled out a tissue, which she then ripped in half, scrunched up, and stuck in Billy's nostrils. "There you go Billy, that should solve the problem." Billy quacked his thanks.

"Hey Mr Ellix? If you're pirates then what's your flag?"

I pointed at Luffy. "It's basically a skull and crossbones with his hat on."

Luffy puffed out his chest with pride. "It's so cool Flori! I'm gonna be the Pirate King with it!"

"Oh yeah!" I dug into my own pocket and pulled out a scrap of paper, after unfolding it it revealed our nakama's personal jolly rogers. "Me and Usopp drew jolly rogers for each of us!"

Florina pointed to one wearing a blue and white bandanna with orange hair sticking it's tongue out that had a single arm pinching it's forefinger and thumb together. "That one looks like Mrs Nami!" She then looked at the one in the middle, It had long dark brown hair and was smiling, a blue scarf was tied around it's lower jaw with it's two ends fluttering behind it like a sash. "This one is yours Mr Ellix!"

"You got it dead on!" I laughed, then noticing Luffy's depressed aura. "But yours is still the best Luffy!" I called over, he seemed to perk up a bit after that.

"Alright! Come on you two! We need to drop off Florina and then find everyone!" Nami stated.

We got up to leave when a large rustling was heard from behind us. "Oh god no..." I murmured as a huge yellow gorilla appeared behind us, it had two arm joints, making it resemble a member of the long-arm tribe. "You're new." I deadpanned.

Luffy however was up immediantely. "Yosh! Ellix! Let's do that combo thing!"

I got up with a grin. "Ohhhh...that one huh? Okay then." I slammed both my palms into the side of my head.

"Daydream!"

My head pulsated to twice it's size before going back to normal, like a heartbeat. Then my body was completely wrapped in a rainbow aura, with thick slivers of mulitcoloured thread emanating from my body, flicking against the air like flames in slow motion. Florina obviously loved it. "Mr Ellix is all pretty now!" I secretly sweat-dropped. 'pretty' was not what I was going for. I pumped a load of energy down my arm, similar to Luffy's Gear Second, except the pumped energy remained tensed up underneath my fist. Both me and Luffy stretched our arms several feet back.

"Gomu Gomu no...!"

"Dori Dori no...!"

We both brought our fists slamming into the creatures stomach, the pumped energy travelling through my fist and smashing into it's gut with scary verocity.

"Tension Pistol!"

The impact sent it shooting off, smashing every tree in it's path until it fell off the island completely. "Sugoiii! Mr Ellix can stretch too!" She danced through the rainbow threads and proceeded to pinch my cheek in an attempt to stretch it, only to find it stayed firmly attached to my body.

"Ow!" I yelped rubbing my cheek.

Florina was now confused. "Huh? Mr Ellix your arm can stretch like Mr Luffy's but your face can't? Why?"

I smiled. "Florina, with the Dori Dori no Mi I can dream up anything and I mean ANYTHING, with Daydream I drag all my dreams from the Dream World to the real world. But there are two exceptions; 1, I can't copy Logia or Zoan users, and I can't fully copy Paramecia's. For example I can only make my limbs stretch, I can't become completely like rubber like Luffy. And 2, Whatever I dream up it will always match my own strength, for example if I turned my arm into a giant arm, it would still have the strength of my regular arm. So if I want to make it more powerful I need to add...rockets or something to it...I've gotta try that sometime. Also, the dreams have to stay connected to my body, any projectiles just vanish. Do you understand?"

She seemed confused for a second, but then her face lit up. "I get it!" She said with a smile.

Meanwhile Luffy had his head tilted and his face scrunched up, finally he hit his palm with his fist. "Ah! So it's a mystery Devil Fruit!"

Me and Nami comically fell over. "You're dumber then a five year old!" We yelled in unison.

I disengaged Daydream, the rainbow veil and threads fading away, and that's when the drawback hit. "OOOOOWWWWW! My heeeeaaaaddd!" I yelled rolling around on the floor clutching my head in pain. My brain was throbbing and bashing against my skull.

"Mr Ellix! Are you okay!?" Florina called desperately.

"Hold on." Nami said calmly. She bent over and rubbed my head, numbing the pain. "Better?" She asked with a smile.

"Better." I smiled back.

"You'd be dead without me you know." She giggled.

"Yeah, I know." I sat up and turned to Florina. "Dragging dreams out of the Dream World causes you to take a large chunk out of your own dreams. Replacing them can be...painful, but Nami always makes them better, otherwise it goes on for another five minutes!" I looked at Luffy with half closed eyes. "Everyone else just hits me..."

Luffy put on his pouting face. "It works for me."

"Please be careful Mr Ellix." Florina mumbled biting her lip.

"Okay, I promise." I replied as I hoisted her up onto my back. Luffy and Nami climbed back onto Billy. "Ready Billy?" I called, he quacked happily as we set off again.

 _xxxStrongxWorldxxx_

We finally landed in the village, where understandably a bunch of people who had wings on their arms like Florina had gathered.

A womans voice suddenly called out. "Florina? Florina!?"

"Mummy!" I let her down so she could run to a tall blond woman with a blue dress and wings, who hugged her close, followed by a seven year old with light brown hair (also with wings).

"Oh god Florina, I thought I'd lost you..." The woman whispered while crying.

"Little Sis! I was really worried about you!" The boy cried.

"I'm sorry mummy. I'm sorry Niko." Florina replied biting her lip with tears streaming down her face.

It was then her mother noticed her arm. "Florina you're hurt! Did these people...?"

"No mummy, they helped me. This is Mr Ellix, Mr Luffy and Mrs Nami, they helped me get home!"

"Don't forget Billy!" Luffy called pointing to said duck, who smiled. Yes, he could smile.

Florina's mum stood up and nodded to us. "Thank you so much for bringing my daughter home, I can't thank you enough."

"Thanks so much!" Niko spoke up with tears running down his face.

"Nami-swaaaaan!" A familiar voice called, it was then that our blond chef and cowardly sniper dashed over to meet us. "Nami-swan! I'm so happy you're okay! I was so worried I haven't slept for days!" He then promptly fell backwards onto the ground, snoring loudly.

"He wasn't kidding about the not sleeping part." Usopp sighed. "It's so good to see you're all alright!"

"Usopp! Sanji! You're okay!" Luffy yelled happily.

"Didn't doubt you for a second guys!" I laughed. My nakama always came through for me, and they're the best nakama I could ever have.

 _Flashback_

"YOU BASTARD!"

I dodged the incoming kick. "W-Wait Sanji! Just let me explain!"

"How dare you take Nami-swan away from me!? You shitty dreamer!" Sanji roared as he attempted to kick me again.

"It was really difficult for me to do! Show a bit of compassion!" I desperately looked over at Nami. "Nami! Back me up! Please!"

Nami just smiled. "Well if you really want to be my boyfriend you'll have to deal with Sanji sooner or later. Might as well get it over with."

"Nani!?" I yelled as I dodged another kick.

"You heard her shitty dreamer! Take it like a man!"

"It'll still hurt!" I yelled with shark teeth.

"Then get ready!" He roared as he jumped at me.

"Tekkai!"

I was subjected to at least ten minutes of kicking, afterwards I had a bruised...everything.

Nami bent down and patted my head. "Ok, ok, if you can take that many kicks for me you must be commited."

"Thank you." I groaned.

"Waaaaahhh! Ellix! Please don't die!" Chopper yelled frantically, beginning to bandage me.

Sanji began walking over to me, I tried to scramble away using my one good arm, but to no avail. He lit his cigarette (God, I hated that.) and blew out a long trail. "Alright Ellix listen, Nami seems happy and that all that matters. So you'd better treat her properly." He then glared at me. "If you don't, I'll kick your ass twice as hard."

I could only smile, wincing at the movement. "If I treat Nami badly, you can beat me up FIVE times as hard!"

He smiled back. "Good." he then walked off.

"Please don't die Ellix!" Chopper wailed.

"You really are a noble baka aren't you?" Nami laughed.

"Sanji just wants what's best for you, and I do too."

She just smiled at me. "Thanks. And well done."

 _xxxStrongxWorldxxx_

Me and Usopp sat on the deck of the Sunny, putting our finishing touches on our personal jolly rogers. "Alright! There we go!" He said triumphantly as he finished Zoro's. "Now all we need is yours Ellix! What do you want?"

I crossed my arms. "I dunno..." I leaned my head back and hummed a tune to myself before turning to him. "Make mine have my hair!"

He sweat-dropped at me. "That's it?"

I thought a bit more before answering. "Make mine have a blue scarf as well!"

"Okay then a blue scar-...hey wait a minute! you don't even wear a scarf!"

"I know I don't! It's in memory of Marcus!"

"Who? Oh right, that captain you talked to when you were a kid." He then seemed to stop for a minute, and turned to me. "That guy really inspired you to become a pirate?"

"Yeah! Before I met him I hated all of them."

"Ohhhhh the irony."

"I know...I owe him more then I could ever know."

"Nani? Why's that?"

I smiled at him. "Because if I hadn't met him, I'd have never become a pirate. And I never would have met you or Nami or Luffy or Zoro or Sanji or Chopper or Robin or Franky! I never would have beaten Baroque Works! Never have been to Skypeia! Never declared war on the world government! I don't regret a single second of all that because I did it with my nakama!" I laughed. "Thanks for helping us at Enies Lobby by the way!"

He crossed his arms and held his abnormally long nose high in the air. "I don't know what you're talking about. That was Sogeking."

"Right, right. Just...thanks Usopp."

He smiled. "No problem...for whatever it is I did."

Sanji suddenly called out. "Hey everyone! Dinner's ready!"

"Hooray! Sanji's food!" We called out together. We ran to the door only to be blocked by a certain chefs leg.

"Nami-swan and Robin-chwan go first! Respect the woman you love dreamer-boy!"

"Jealous." We both said plainly.

"Shut up!" he yelled as we just laughed like a bunch of schoolkids.

 _Flashback End_

"You're Mr Usopp! You're Mr Usopp!" Florina sang happily to the sniper.

"Ah! I see you've heard just one of the many tales of the infamous Captain Usopp!" He said with pride. "Do you wish to hear the tale of how I defeated several Sea Kings with one cannon shot?"

"No thanks, Mr Ellix said you told fibs."

"Ellix!" He called over to me while crying a small waterfall. "Don't corrupt the youths minds!"

"You're the one doing that!" I called back laughing.

It was then that a certain reindeer and green haired swordsmen appeared. "Luffy! Ellix! Nami! You're okay!" Chopper called over to us with relief.

"Hey Chopper!" Luffy chuckled. "Look at all the mystery people!" Luffy had been staring at all of them the whole time.

"Chopper? You're affected by the Daft Green plants too?" Nami said. I looked at him to see he had two tissues sticking out of his nostrils as well.

"Yeah. It only works on animals." Chopper sighed.

"Good to see you guys." Zoro stated.

 _Flashback_

Me and Sanji dashed through the forest until we finally came to the thing I feared most. Zoro was standing still with his arms crossed, surrounded and covered in his own blood, with too many wounds to count.

"W-What the hell!?" Sanji yelled, he looked at Zoro. "Moss-head! What the hell happened here!?"

"Nothing..." He replied plainly. "...at all."

I just stared at him. This man had risked his own life, his own DREAMS to protect Luffy, our captain. He had risked EVERYTHING, put his life on a platter just so that the man who will become Pirate King could live! What about his own dreams? The man who will become the World's Greatest Swordsman? He was willing to throw away all of that without a second thought! In that single second, my respect for Zoro grew tenfold.

"Zoro..." I whispered. I slowly walked in front of him and sat down.

"What are you doing Ellix?" Sanji asked.

"He needs to stay standing up, if he allows himself to faint now the shock could kill him, normally this would take at least a day, but this is Zoro we're talking about. So I'm gonna wait with him until he's ready." I then just sat and stared at him.

"Me too." Sanji said with a nod. He then came and sat beside me, we stared at Zoro for ages, not moving, not speaking, while I played over the recent events in HD (That's my own definition for it) in my head with my Devil Fruit powers.

Eventually he collapsed, and me and Sanji were there to catch him.

 _xxxStrongxWorldxxx_

I first noticed him when Nami had woken up, he was trying to hide behind the door...poorly.

"Huh? Who are you?" Nami said to it.

"Stupid human!" It yelled back. "You need to rest some more!"

Now that I got a better look at him, he looked like a reindeer, except he was walking on two legs, very small, TALKING, had a pink top hat with a white cross on it, and a blue nose.

"Hey, are you a friend of Doctorine's?" I called, unfortunately I had woken up to see the old hag with a 16 year olds body staring down at me.

I almost had a heart attack and didn't stop screaming for ages.

"No!" He yelled, he then tried to hide some more...poorly. "I mean yes."

"So, you helped Nami, Luffy and Sanji too?"

"Those other humans? Yeah, what's it to you?"

I then stood up, walked over to him, and got on my hands and knees and bowed as low as I could.

"Ellix!?" Nami cried.

"Thank you." I whispered. "For saving my nakama, they are the most important people in the world to me."

"S-S-Stupid human! What the hell are you talking about!?" I looked up to see he had a huge grin on his face and he was doing a weird little dance by waving his arms around. "Don't think for one second that makes me happy you bastard!" He obviously didn't take compliments well.

 _xxxStrongxWorldxxx_

"Ouch!"

"Hold still Ellix! I need to get rid of them as soon as possible!"

I was lying in Sunny's medical room after our battle with the Accino family, unfortunately I had been burned all over.

"You and Luffy are lucky you didn't get any permenant burn marks!" Chopper proclaimed with his vast medical knowledge. I sat up and he instantly pushed me back down. "You both need to rest until you're fully healed."

"Awwww! This sucks!" Luffy whined. "Can't we have any meat?"

"I'll get Sanji to bring you some soup, and I'll be sure to add some medicine to it to get rid of any possibilities of internal damage."

"Damn iiiiiiit!" We both whined.

"It's good for you!" Chopper yelled.

"Okay. Thanks so much Chopper!" I said.

He started looking a bit uncomfortable. "For what?"

"For always helping us. Thanks for always fixing us up, you're a really great doctor and nakama."

"Shishishi! Thanks Chopper!" Luffy said.

The compliments were too much for the little reindeer to handle. "You're both bastards! I'm the doctor! I'm supposed to heal you!" He was doing his little dance twice as fast. "Think those words will make me happy you jerks!?" He danced his way to the door. "Oh and Ellix, Nami says she's gonna kick your ass for getting burned so badly!"

I groaned while Luffy laughed. "It's not me!" He happily called out.

 _Flashback End_

"Florina!" Another voice called out, this time it was a red-headed girl around Florina's age, and when I say red-headed she actually did have red hair, like everyone else she had wings, and her mouth was curved ever so slightly so that if you squinted REALLY hard it looked like a beak.

"Xiao!" Florina called. They ran into each other and embraced, then started spinning around together.

"You're okay!" 'Xiao' cried, she then reduced to a whisper. "Did you fly off again?"

"Yep." Florina whispered back, she beckoned to me and I knelt down beside the two girls. "Xiao is my bestest friend Mr Ellix, she is the only, only, ONLY one who knows I can fly. Xiao, this is Mr Ellix, I crashed into a tree and he helped me get home."

"Thank you so much Mr Ellix!" Xiao said.

I smiled. "No problem, but we'd better do something about your arm, Hey Chopper! Can you help my friend Florina?"

The little doctor walked over. "Sure! What's the problem?" Florina held out her arm, allowing Chopper to undo the bandages and check the wound. It looked a little better since I bandaged it up. "Hmmm...it's good it was covered up to prevent infection, if I just put a covering on it, it'll heal over in no time!" He reached into his doctors bag and pulled out some new bandages, smearing some ointment on it before applying it, Florina winced and bit her lip, but kept as still as possible until the bandage was on.

"Thank you Mr Chopper!" Florina and Xiao called together, both hugging him.

He obviously started dancing. "You don't have to thank me! Stop hugging me!"

 _xxxStrongxWorldxxx_

I could hear Luffy, Billy and Zoro sleeping outside, everyone else was playing, including Florina and Xiao. Me and Nami were invited inside Xiao's house by her mother, where we met her grandmother, lying in bed with green splotches all over her skin.

"What's wrong with her?" I feel I had to ask.

"She has a disease known as 'Daft'." Xiao's mother stated. "It's caused by the Daft Green plants, they keep the animals away, but they can also make you very ill. Xiao went out to look for some plants for a cure, and that's when your friends, the reindeer and swordsmen, found her."

"Poor Xiao." Nami murmured.

'Did Florina fly out to look for a cure too?' I wondered.

I sat down with Nami while Xiao's mother tended to her own mother. "We're still missing Robin, Franky and Brook..."

"If they're smart they'll probably come here as soon as they find it." Nami said.

"We still have to get Shiki as well." I muttered.

"Ellix...that guy seemed like bad news..." She turned to me. "...maybe we should stay out of his way."

"Nami...he kidnapped you and seperated all of us." I was as serious as I could get. "I will never forgive him, and neither will Luffy. I won't ever let him take you away again!"

"Ellix..." She looked at me sadly. "If you have to...please...be careful."

I smiled. "I promise that I'll be careful, and protect you."

"Okay. You'd better keep to that promise." She said with a smile.

Florina and Xiao suddenly ran in frantically waving a newspaper, followed by Florina's mum and Niko. "Mummy! Mummy!" Xiao yelled happily. "Daddy is coming back!"

"Really!?" Xiao's mum asked. Xiao handed her the newspaper.

"What? You have a dad?" I asked, to be honest, I hadn't seen a lot of fathers and older boys around the village.

"Yeah Mr Ellix!" Florina cried happily. "Xiao's dad was working far away for Shiki! But now he's been let go and every daddy and big brother is coming back!"

"All men in the village are taken away to work for Shiki when their old enough." Florina's mum explained, holding Niko close to her. "But apparently Shiki is moving away to East Blue! And he's taking all of his animals with him!"

My eyes widened as soon as HIS name was mentioned, but the other news made me gape.

"Shiki...is going to East Blue?" Nami asked hesitantly. I felt her begin shaking.

"This is wonderful news Xiao! Your father is coming home!" Xiao's mother cried hugging her daughter.

"Daddy's coming home!" Xiao cheered.

"Hooray for Xiao!" Florina and Niko called.

Me and Nami just sat there. 'Shiki is taking all of those animals to East Blue? He'll destroy everything!' I looked at Nami, she was touching the golden ring she got from her sister, Nojiko. 'Oren, Nojiko, Makino, Kaya, Zeff...' I remembered all the amazing people me and my nakama had met. 'All of them..are in grave danger!'

Suddenly Nami grabbed my wrist and dragged me out the door. "N-Nami!? What's wrong!?"

She looked at me with pleading eyes. "Ellix, I think our nakama are in trouble!"


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Defeat...

We ran outside to find that it was sundown, I stopped her just before a corner to talk to Florina and Xiao.

"You and your families need to go somewhere safe okay?" I said trying to keep my voice as calm as possible.

"Mr Ellix, will you and Mrs Nami be okay?" Florina asked, biting her lip.

"I promise."

Their respective mothers took their hands. "Come on dear, Mr Ellix and Mrs Nami will be fine." Florina's mum told her daughter. She gave me a 'Be careful' look before leading her children away.

Me and Nami turned the corner, there we saw Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, Usopp and Chopper standing in a line...facing Shiki who stood above them on a rock altar.

"Ahhhh! There you are Baby Doll!" Shiki sneered.

"Shiki..." Nami whispered with wide eyes.

I stepped in front of her. "Leave her alone."

"Now, now boy, I just wanna talk." He sighed sadly. "I'm just ever so hurt that Baby Doll ran away without a single word!"

"Don't call Nami that!" I yelled at him.

He raised an eyebrow, but his twisted smile soon returned. "Ohhh...so that's how it is, eh Baby Doll? This boy has a thing for you?" I gritted my teeth in response.

"Don't think you can mess with my nakama and get away with it." Luffy growled.

Shiki smirked. "Oh? And what are you gonna do about it...Straw-Hat?"

Luffy dashed through the air towards him. "Kick your ass! Gum-Gum...Scythe!" Luffy tried to punch him, but he simply had to float over him to dodge.

"Jihahaha! If you want to fight then give it your best shot!" Shiki called mockingly.

"Guys! Stop!" Nami called desperately.

Usopp took aim with his Kabuto slingshot. "Certain Death...Firebird Star!" The shot transformed into a bird made entirely of flames, which Shiki dodged effortlessly again.

"INTERESTING ISN'T IT!?" A familiar loud voice came from behind me. I instinctively grabbed Nami and pulled her away, just in time to avoid a large metal claw. The claw was attached to a thick metal pole with multiple parts so it could stretch, bend and retract, with spikes sticking out everywhere. The metal arm was connected to a gauntlet, which was attached to Silver's arm!

"Silver!?" I yelled in surprise.

"WE MEET AGAIN STRAW-HAT PIRATES!" He screamed. "I BELIEVE YOU HAVE OUR NAVIGATOR!"

I placed an arm in front of Nami. "You stay away from her." I threatened.

"TRY TO STOP ME! WODOS T. ELLIX!" He shot one of his metal claws at me.

"Tekkai!" I stopped the attack from hitting Nami, then dashed at him with Soru, launching him into the air, where he stood thanks to his Devil Fruit. He swiped at me. "Geppo!" I jumped and dodged the slashes. "Shigan!" I tried to stab him, only to be blocked by the metal arm and thrown away.

"Gum-Gum Rocket!" Luffy launched himself into Shiki's back, launching him over Nami's head, he then jumped over to Silver. "Gum-Gum Bazooka!" He simply crossed his extra long metal arms across his chest to block Luffy's attack, then throw him away.

"Concasse!" Sanji spun in the air and slammed his leg onto Silver's metal arm, when really he was aiming for his head.

Meanwhile I dashed over to Shiki. "Rankyaku Gaichu!" I spun super fast like Sanji when using Diable Jambe, shooting a large silver wave in the shape of a bird at him. In retaliation he used his sword legs to send multiple yellow waves at it, cancelling it out with a huge explosion.

Zoro ran past me and through the smoke. "Ichi Gorilla!" His right bicep pumped up. "Ni Gorilla!" His left bicep pumped up. "Nigori-Zake!" He slashed at Shiki with his bulked up arms, as he came through the smoke the golden lion was taken by surprise, just barely dodging the attack while spinning.

I felt Chopper latch on to my pulled back arms. "Soru!" I threw Chopper towards Shiki with lightning speed.

"Kokutei Cross!" Chopper transformed into his Arm Point mid flight, his biceps matching Zoro's. The attack with added speed smashed Shiki into the ground. I suddenly felt something sharp slash my right side, I gritted my teeth in pain and spun around to see a silver claw, now covered in blood, retract to it's owner.

"Sticky Star!" Usopp called out as a little shot exploded on Silver's right claw, sticking it together.

"Rankakyu!" The air wave slammed into Silver, knocking him into the ground as well.

"Do you rookies really think you can beat me!?" I heard Shiki call out from behind us. "Shishi Odoshi: Chimaki!"

The ground started trembling, causing pebbles to fly up and land everywhere. "What the hell's going on?" Luffy asked no-one in particular.

Suddenly the ground around us began to rise, the debris quickly reforming into multiple giant lion heads that quickly surrounded us, causing Usopp to scream in terror.

"I've got this! Gum-Gum...!" Luffy began throwing his arms into thin air, building up speed and power until it looked like he had multiple arms. "...Cannon!" His arms suddenly shot forward with the power and speed he'd been building up, obliterating one of the lion heads.

"Rokuogan!" I yelled, releasing a powerful blast from my fists, destroying another one, but they still kept piling up on us. "Damnit! Everyone! Grab onto me!" The straw-hat members clutched firmly onto me. "Geppo Bakuhatsu!" I shot myself up towards the slowly closing hole.

We weren't gonna make it with all of us, when suddenly Zoro and Sanji let go! "Zoro! Sanji!" Luffy called out.

"Get ready Crap Cook!" Zoro yelled as he leapt onto Sanji's leg.

"Armée de L'Air Power Shoot!" Sanji shouted as he threw Zoro at Shiki using his leg.

It was then that Usopp jumped off. "Usopp! What are you doing!?" I called after him.

"Certain Death...Atlas Comet!" Four Gunpowder Stars shot at Shiki, who simply ducked, dropping him into Zoro's attack range.

"Gyuki: Yuzume!" Zoro aimed his swords and slashed at Shiki, making him dodge AGAIN!

"You're not even worth killing." Shiki scoffed as he smashed Zoro with his fist, throwing him back down into the slowly forming earth grave.

"Zoro! You bastard!" Luffy glared at Shiki, stretching his arms down to grab the three fallen straw-hat members.

Silver however anticipated this and appeared above us. "GOING SOMEWHERE STRAW-HATS!?" The spikes in his metal gauntlet arms detatched, revealing themselves to be small missiles. "SILVER NEEDLES!" He roared as the spikes rained down on us.

"Tekkai Sou!" My chest bulked up into tense stronger-then-iron muscles, shattering the attack on impact before returning to normal. Unfortunately I only covered Chopper, Luffy was hit full on and shot back down. "LUFFY!" Me and Chopper called in horror.

"PLEASE FORGIVE ME FOR SHOOTING YOU MONKEY D. LUFFY!" He shouted sarcastically. He then extended his metal arm out to stab me in my left side.

"Sorry Ellix..." As soon as the words left Chopper's mouth he transformed into his Guard Point, blocking Silver's attack and shooting me out of the debris in the process.

"CHOPPER! NO!" I called as I slid down the side of the rising soil, trying to scramble back up and pull them all out.

"Gear Thi-" Luffy's voice was cut off by the sound of falling stone. I finally tumbled down to the bottom, and when I looked up, my eyes widened. The earth had molded into a giant spiral that shot up into the sky. My nakama were trapped inside, their mouths opened in horror and their eyes rolled into the back of their heads.

"LUFFYYYYYY!" Nami cried.

"L..." I fell to my hands and knees. "Luffyyyy! Zoro! Usopp! Sanji! Chopper!"

"Jihahahahaha!" Shiki boomed, noticing me. "I could tell you were the stubborn one. Where's your crew now?"

I glared at him with pure rage. "Let...them GO!" I roared charging him, I was intercepted by Silver. "Stop getting in my way! Shiga-" I went to stab him with my finger, when suddenly a familiar face appeared in his claw. "N-Nami!?" I immediately grabbed my own arm to stop the attack, giving Silver the chance to smash my head into the rock pilar.

"Ellix!" Nami yelled.

"YOU WOULDN'T DARE ATTACK HER WOULD YOU WODOS T. ELLIX!?" Silver shouted.

"You...Fight me fairly! Rankyaku!" I sent the attack at him, to which he held up his ginger shield again. I just barely dashed in front of her to take the force of my own attack, slamming me into the ground. I then felt a metal claw tighten around me, and lift me up to Silver's eye level.

"YOU REALLY CARE FOR HER DON'T YOU!?" He then brought up his other, stuck together claw and slammed it down on my head, like cracking an egg.

The blow drove my feet into the ground, causing them to get stuck completely. "Ungh..d-damn!" I tried to pull them out with no luck.

Then the claw tightened around me again, and the other came crashing down again, going on and on, hammering me into the ground like a nail, until only my head remained. My head hurt way more then even the after-affects of Daydream, the whole world was very fuzzy and spinning, and blood was staining my vision.

Nami rushed over and knelt beside me, covering her mouth with her hands. "Oh god...Ellix..." She whispered.

"You kids were really annoying." Shiki stated. "If you'd have known the full situation, you wouldn't have tried anything."

A long pause came, far too long. My head hurt and I just wanted it to end. Nami suddenly stood up. "Nami...?" I mumbled.

"The attacks on East Blue...They were you're doing...weren't they?" Nami said quietly.

Shiki's wicked smile returned. "You got it."

I instantly began thrashing my head around. "YOU!? Nami! Help get me out! I'm gonna beat this guy!" She didn't answer, she just stood with clenched fists. "huff...Nami...huff."

She turned to Shiki. "Please..." She said sadly. "Don't hurt Ellix anymore. Don't hurt my captain anymore. Don't hurt my friends anymore. Don't hurt my home island anymore! Please!"

"Ah-ah-ahhhh." Shiki sang tapping ashes from his cigar. "You can't do that Baby Doll, you can only ask for something like that from YOUR captain...am I right Silver?"

"Correct, Captain Shiki..." He whispered.

"That cyclone is the only problem I face." Shiki continued. "In the Grand Line, I need a skilled navigator such as yourself."

I heard Nami gasp, and I began thrashing around again. "Stop it! You can't ask Nami to do something like that! Let me and our captain and our nakama go!"

He frowned at me. "You're beginning to bore me brat." He turned to his first mate. "Silver?"

"Yes Captain Shiki..." He murmured. He then dashed over to me and held his claw against my throat.

"WAIT!" We all turned to Nami, she was hanging her head so no-one could see her expression. She looked at our unconcious nakama, then at Shiki, then at me and Silver, then at Nojiko's bracelet.

"What's that?" Shiki questioned. "Some sort of mirror?"

"It's a bracelet my sister gave me before I left." She firmly corrected him. "If...I join you Shiki...will you spare East Blue?"

"But of course! The wishes of my crewmates are of my highest value! I won't lay a finger on your homeland."

"Nami stop!" I called, Silver tried to silence me by squeezing my throat. "Don't join Shiki! You can't! What about your nakama!?"

"Nami..." Another voice called, we all turned our attention to the massive spiral to see that Usopp was still conscious and very out of breath.

"Usopp..." Me and Nami gasped.

"D-Don't be stupid!" He cried. "You think that...giving yourself up...will make Shiki...leave East Blue alone!? What about Luffy? What about Ellix?!"

"Usopp stay out of this!" Nami yelled at him.

"You think Baby Doll cares about two little brats? Don't you even understand the situation your in?" Shiki retorted.

The whole area was suddenly shadowed, I looked up and gasped in horror as a gigantic rock floated over the spiral, ready to crush it and everyone inside!

"STOP IT! LEAVE NAMI AND MY NAKAMA ALONE!" I desperately cried.

"Oh don't worry brat, you'll be joining them." Shiki cackled.

"NO!" Nami had managed to pause everything again, her whole body trembling. "I understand...just let them go..."

Shiki smiled. "In that case, I think you know what you need to do." She swallowed a large lump in her throat. "C'mon, let your bratty friend hear it too...Baby Doll."

"Ellix...Usopp..." She said with a shaky voice. "I have to do this...for you...for East Blue...for everyone."

"No..." Me and Usopp whispered weakly.

"I'll be fine...no matter where I go."

"JUST STOP IT NAMI!" Usopp shouted. "Do you even realise what your doi-"

He was cut short by a large rock that smashed into his face, knocking him unconscious. "USOPP!" I cried, being cut short by Silver's foot slamming down on my already aching head.

"IT IS RUDE TO INTERRUPT SOMEONE WHEN THEY ARE TALKING!" He shouted at me.

"Your all nothing but annoying brats." Shiki muttered with heavy annoyance. "So...what's your answer Baby Doll?"

She hesitated before speaking. "You win...I'll be your navigator."

"Be?" Shiki laughed. "Your gonna have to do better then that!"

Another pause. I then watched with wide eyes as Nami KNELT before him! "Please...let me be your navigator..." She BEGGED!

"Now that's more like it." Shiki said with his evil smile.

"SHIKIIIIIII!" I screamed, throwing Sliver's foot off with just my head and thrashing around like a madman. "HOW DARE YOU MAKE NAMI BOW TO YOU!?"

Silver stamped on me again. "PERHAPS YOU SHOULD RESPECT HER DECISION!" He yelled into my ear.

"Baby Doll has made her choice brat, don't think you can change that by wriggling around." Shiki chuckled.

Shiki had defeated my nakama, attacked East Blue, and made Nami beg him to let her on his crew! I hated him with every fibre of my being!

It was then that the golden Tone Dial from a week ago floated down beside Nami. "Here...I'm not a kidnapper, give your friends a heartfelt farewell." Shiki said.

Nami took the Tone Dial in her hands, she then looked at me and walked further away, out of my earshot. I saw her press the top and begin to speak. All the while I tried to strain from underneath Silver's black shoe to try to hear her. After what seemed like ages she finally finished and set the Tone Dial down.

"Good speech Baby Doll." Shiki said, clapping his hands. "We're leaving Silver." He called over.

"Yes Captain Shiki..." He whispered, walking over to join them.

"NAMI!" I yelled. "STOP! I know you don't wanna do this! Just...just help get me out!"

This made her stop in her walk away from the Straw-Hat Pirates. She took a deep breath before speaking next. "Ellix...this is the only way...we'll never see each other again."

"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT NAMI!? I CAN STILL FIGHT! HELP ME OUT!"

She turned to me, and to my horror there was no emotion on her face. "Anything you thought might have been between us...forget about it."

I gasped. "DON'T TALK LIKE THAT! IT'S NOT JUST ME! WHAT ABOUT LUFFY AND USOPP AND THE REST OF OUR NAKAMA!? DON'T THROW ALL THAT AWAY! PLEASE NAMI! HELP GET ME OUT! PLEASE!"

"I hate you, leave me alone."

I stopped.

Had I heard her correctly?

It sunk in.

Tears started streaming down my face. In that single moment, if you had gathered every possible insult in the world and thrown them all at me, they wouldn't have come CLOSE to how much that single sentence shattered my will and determination. "Y...You...don't...mean that." I sobbed, I looked utterly pathetic, stuck in the ground with tears running down my face. "I know...you don't." My whole head was shuddering and shaking. "Please...please don't say...that..."

"It's such a shame you have to leave on such a negative note, but perhaps it's for the best brat." Shiki lectured me.

Then Shiki TOOK NAMI'S HAND! And they all floated away, leaving me all alone. I couldn't do anything, Iwas completely stuck there, tears streaming in a continuous flow, dripping down onto the ground which encased my body.

I sobbed again and again, my head trembling because the rest of my body couldn't. Then I raised my head as high as it could go.

"DAMN IT!"

I smashed my head into the ground, tears still streaming from my face. I lifted my head again.

"DAMN IT!"

I slammed my head against the stone and soil again.

"DAMN IT! DAMN IT! DAMN IT! DAMN IT! DAMN IT! DAMN IT! DAMN IT!"

I kept bashing my head again and again, not hesitating for even a second.

"DAMN IT! DAMN IT! DAMN IT! DAMN IT! DAMN IIIIIIIIT! NAAAAAAAMIIIIIIIII!"

I screamed. I screamed as long and loud as I could while still crying, until my throat felt raw, but the tears continued.

Because I hadn't kept my promise.

I had failed to protect her.

And now she hated me.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Full Assault

"Mr Ellix! Mr Ellix! Please wake up Mr Ellix!"

My eyes slowly opened to be met with Florina, biting her lip with tears streaming down her face.

"Fl...Florina?" My voice was raspy from all my crying and screaming, I quickly realised it was night-time and I was no longer buried, surrounded by Florina, Xiao, and their respective families.

"M-Mr Ellix! There was a load of crashing and smashing sounds and wh-when we came back everything was gone and you were buried and everyone was...was...waaaaahhhh!" Florina burst into tears.

"Oh Florina..." Her mother whispered, trying to comfort her.

I looked around, it seemed that the whole village had been destroyed, I vaguely remembered some men in gas masks uprooting the Daft Green plants, and the animals charging through...when had I passed out?

"Ellix." a familiar voice called. I turned to see a raven haired woman wearing glasses (it was weird to see her wearing glasses) and a white and green striped shirt.

"R-Robin..." I sobbed.

 _Flashback_

I was sitting with her, trying to avoid eye-contact. I didn't trust her, it seemed that me and Zoro where the only ones who shared this opinion.

"You don't seem to trust me do you Lookout-san?" She questioned in her calm voice which practically flashed experience.

"Luffy trusts you, I guess that's good enough for me." I mumbled, still looking away. "But if you try to hurt my nakama I won't forgive you."

"Really?" She said, still calm. "I don't doubt that." We sat in silence for a bit. "What is your full name?" She asked as if she didn't really care.

"Why do you want it?"

"Just curious."

I sighed. "Wodos T. Ellix."

"T.? Interesting..."

I finally turned to look at her. "What is?"

"I just thought you might have been a D."

I crossed my arms. "A D.? You mean like Luffy?"

She smiled at me. "Yes, surprising really, your as close to a D. as anyone can get."

"What does that mean?"

Robin glanced at me. "Oh...nothing."

 _Flashback End_

She held out her hand, I took it and she helped me to my feet, not saying a word, as if she already knew what was wrong. I stumbled around a bit, being buried alive stops all feeling to your legs. "Shiki is behind the attacks in East Blue."

"I know...heard it straight from the lions mouth." I sighed.

Franky and Brook suddenly turned up too. "Hey Sleepy, you okay?" Franky asked.

I slowly shook my head. "Franky...Brook...it's good to see you, but no, I'm not...Nami..."

"It's alright Ellix-san." Brook said resting a bony hand on my shoulder. "We have heard what happened...you tried your best."

"It's not that..." I whispered. I looked up at him. "Is everyone alright?"

He gestured over to a large pile of rocks, Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, Usopp and Chopper were sitting there. The doctor ran over to me and started bandaging my head and waist. "I'm sorry Ellix." He whimpered.

"You have nothing to be sorry for Chopper..." I told him.

"Ellix..." Luffy said. "Usopp told us what happened to Nami..."

"How could I have been so selfish?" Xiao's mother said abruptly. "I was just so happy that Shiki was leaving for East Blue that I forgot you and your friend were there!...You heard everything didn't you?" She directed at me.

"Don't blame yourself." I reassured her. "It's not your fault."

"I'm sorry too!" Xiao cried, wiping away her steady flow of tears.

"Us as well!" Florina and Niko wailed.

"Thanks you guys." Luffy spoke up. "Your homes just been destroyed but your worried about Nami. I'll make sure to beat the crap outta Shiki for every one of you!" He smiled which caused the three children to copy him.

I just hung my head in shame, feeling the dried blood and tears on my face. I suddenly felt something tug on my shorts, I looked down to see Xiao clutching the golden Tone Dial.

"Is this important?" She asked me before handing it over.

"Yes...thank you Xiao..." I said. I walked over to Luffy and placed it in his hands. "This is Nami's farewell message."

"Farewell message?" He questioned me with a scowl, I just walked away, if she didn't let me hear it it probably wasn't meant for me. I kept walking until I was far away, then sat down, burying my head in my hands.

'Why say that? Of all the things she could have said...why that?' I played the question over and over in my head, until two small figures sat next to me.

"Mr Ellix?" The left figure, Florina said carefully. "Mrs Nami went with Shiki didn't she?"

"Yeah..." I nodded, trying to keep my voice calm and steady.

"Mr Ellix?" the right figure, Xiao whispered while looking at her feet. "Do you still love Mrs Nami?"

I hesitated.

Why the heck did I hesitate!?

Had that single sentence really knocked me so far down?

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS!?" The two girls next to me jumped at Luffy's outburst. "Why is she saying something like this!?" His voice was heavy with pure rage and disappointment over the message Nami had recorded. "She said we can't beat him!? What the hell was she thinking!? Why would she say something like that!?" I raised my head to see my captain thrust the Dial into Usopp's hand, before storming away to a nearby rock and stretching his arm back. "Gum-Gum Bulletl!" His punch connected with the rock, smashing it into smithereens, panting now that he had vented out his anger. He looked over at us, making Florina and Xiao hide behind me. Luffy walked over slowly, panting until he stood above me. "What was the last thing...Nami said to you?" He was dead serious.

I looked down and readied myself for what I had to say. "She said she...hated me, and for me to leave her alone..."

Luffy's brow furrowed even more at my answer. His expression was asking a lot of questions, what was she thinking? Didn't she care about them? Just...why? "Do you believe her?"

I hesitated again.

He suddenly grabbed my shirt and pulled him in front of his face. "DO YOU BELIEVE HER!?"

"NO!" I yelled without...thinking. He let go of my shirt and nodded. "No..." I repeated standing up.

"We're...gonna get Nami back..." He switched to a slightly softer tone. "...so she can tell you she didn't mean it."

Everyone already seemed to be in agreement, I just nodded back.

"Mr Luffy..." Two voices spoke up. We turned to Florina and Xiao.

"Is Mrs Nami...gonna be okay?" Florina murmured whilst biting her lip.

"What are you gonna do?" Xiao mumbled quietly.

We both knelt down, I rested my hands on Florina's shoulders while Luffy rested his on Xiao's.

"We're gonna beat Shiki!" We said in unison.

xxxStrongxWorldxxx

Robin had explained that we had to wear formal attire in order to get into Shiki's palace. Apparently he was gathering pirate crews from all over the Grand Line for his army against East Blue.

We walked back to the Sunny and went to get changed, I threw open my wardrobe and grabbed some clothes Nami had given me. I now wore a black tuxedo with matching crisp trousers and polished shoes, made nicer by a little black bowtie and a top hat with a dark red ribbon around it's base, deliberately shadowing my eyes.

We all walked back on deck with our new uniforms. Zoro, Sanji, Chopper in Heavy Point, Franky and Brook were all wearing black suits with different shirts. Usopp being Usopp wore traditional Japenese armor with a black stag beetle helmet over his own suit. Robin had discarded her glasses and had a deep black dress on. And Luffy wore a a black suit as well, accompanied by a long black coat draped from his shoulders similar to a marine admiral, I had never felt more proud to call him my captain.

We all went to Franky's workshop, where he pulled out a load of large guns and various firearms for us to use. I chose a handheld gatling gun which I strapped sideways behind my waist, then we once again went to the main deck where Franky took the wheel.

"Let's get going Franky." Luffy said solemnly.

"Right." He replied as the Sunny charged up energy. "Everyone hang on tight! Coup de Burst!"

A large blast of compressed air shot out of the Sunny's back cannon, launching us into the air and towards Shiki's palace...

 _xxxStrongxWorldxxx_

The Sunny crashed in front of Shiki's palace, destroying several Daft Green Plants and scaring a lot of guards in the process. Luckily the ships main material, Adam wood, protected it from damage.

"What the hell is that!?" One guard called out. "Is that a SHIP!?"

"H-Hey!" Another called. "What do you think your doing!? You're right in front of the royal palace!"

"Who the hell do you think you are!?"

We all stepped out into their line of sight, causing them to gasp in horror. We walked forward and either punched, kicked or slashed the tiny party of defence out of the way. We silently walked through the palace, our captain leading us on our do or die mission. We finally stopped in front of a pair of sliding doors where we heard various voices coming from the other side, obviously the throne room.

The captain stepped back while Zoro drew his three swords, cutting up one of the flimsy doors easily, Usopp tried to kick the other door off, only to get his foot stuck.

"Oops." He said nervously. I just sweat-dropped, trust Usopp to ruin a totally awesome and serious moment.

"What the hell are you doing!?" Sanji yelled.

"Well I-I um just wanted to-"

"Your not gonna bust it down that way! Let me do it!" He readied his leg.

"No! W-wait a secon-"

He kicked down the door along with Usopp, sending him sprawling across the floor.

Us other six crewmembers followed through into a large room. It was long and spacious, with pirate captains sitting on two lines on either side of the path up to the throne...where the golden lion himself sat.

We formed ourselves into a semi-circle, leaving a space for Usopp to scramble into, and allowed Monkey D. Luffy to enter the room.

Shiki glared at us with evident rage, seeing the brats who he had tried to get rid of twice now obviously riled him up. However he quickly regained his composure by lighting a new cigar. "You kids...never cease to surprise me."

We paused for a second, then slowly began walking down the room, every step each of us took echoing in the presence of the large group, who looked on at this mysterious group of pirates who dared to invade this ceremony.

"Do you really plan...on attacking East Blue?" Luffy questioned him, his hat covering his eyes like my own.

"Well, yeah." Shiki replied matter-of-factly.

We stopped walking. "Is Nami safe?" Luffy asked with determination.

"You mean Baby Doll? She's busy." The golden lion answered with a dark smirk, this caused the surrounding men to chuckle at her current fate. I gritted my teeth and clenched my hands at their hidden knowledge, wanting to know what they had done to her, my nakama noticed the groups shared joke as well and instantly knew something wasn't right.

"Jihahahaha!" Shiki boomed. "You may look and act tough, but don't think you can make a difference with only nine people." As soon as he finished the screen doors either side of the lower and upper levels fell away, kicked down by more smart looking pirates. A man in a lab coat with an eccentric scarf with weird hair and shoes stood beside Shiki, followed by a red gorilla wearing a matching suit with large yellow buttons and sunglasses, also standing beside the notorious pirate.

We continued to stand our ground as the enemy's speech continued. "A stupid woman who thought by sacrificing herself she could protect her hometown...and a sucide group containing a straw-hatted weakling for a captain and a stubborn brat! How fitting! Jihahahaha!" The large number of men surrounding us laughed along with their smug leader, creating a disgusting self-centred harmony that I wanted to shoot in the face. But we still didn't move, not a muscle.

"Nami didn't sacrifice herself..." Luffy said. "...she came here as the vanguard." With that I unhooked my gatling gun from behind my waist and aimed it at the pirates in time with the rest of the crew. "Get ready Golden Lion..." My captain was the only one who hadn't readied his gun as he spoke slowly and with deep confidence. "We're the Main Force!"

On our captains hidden command we instantly began firing upon the group, explosions rang out throughout the area as hundreds of pirates were thrown into the air and blasted away from the impact, Shiki watching on in horror at the insignificant brats who were spoiling his perfect plan. None of us showed any signs of restraint or regret as Luffy now joined in the onslaught, smashing the elegant room with devastating impacts.

Eventually I pulled the trigger only to hear a dull click come out of the barrel. "Che, out of ammo." Franky said with disappointment, tossing the two large heavy guns he was carrying to the ground.

"Me too." I sighed, dropping my now favourite weapon to the floor, we all seemed to have the same problem.

"There's still a bunch of 'em." Sanji proclaimed, surveying the room.

"We were just getting started...it's just about right." Zoro told the man he supposedly hated.

"Ellix! Usopp! Chopper! Find Nami!" Luffy commanded us.

"Got it!" The three of us called out together. We then all dashed outside where it was snowing, running down an alternative hallway leaving the sounds of shouting and orders behind.

"Where do we even start looking?" Usopp called out frantically.

"We'll look everywhere!" I told him. "And if she isn't there we tear it down!"

"Sounds like a plan!" Chopper agreed.

We ran for a little bit before Usopp yelled at us. "Ellix! Chopper! We have a problem!"

I tipped my top hat up to stare at him with a raised eyebrow. "What is it?"

In response he pointed to the front of the palace. Looking out I could see a large group of Shiki's insane, battle-enhanced animals surround the entrance, but they still kept a far distance away. "Must've been because we destroyed the Daft Green plants surrounding the entrance."

"They must be determined, I can still smell some..." Chopper added.

"Let's actually try to keep away from the monsters okay? I've had a whole week of them!"

"I agree with Usopp, we don't have time to fight them, we've gotta find Nami!"

We began running down hallways again, this time stopping in front of every door possible to fling it open and check inside for her.

"Nami!?" I called into a deserted room, I quickly smashed it with Rankakyu before moving on.

"Nami?" Usopp called before firing an Exploding Star into the room.

"Nami?" Chopper cried, smashing up a table when no navigator was found.

We eventually ran outside again when we ran into trouble in the form of a bunch of guards. "Where...is...NAMI!?" I yelled. "Shigan Akai Hatsu!" I ploughed through the guards with multiple stabbing fingers, with Usopp incapaciting a few more with a Tabasco Star, and Chopper giving a powerful left hook to several unwary faces.

"Chopper! We need to move faster!" I called to him.

"Okay!" Chopper shifted to his Walk Point, allowing Usopp to get on him.

"You need a ride Ellix?"

"I'll be fine! I'll use Soru!" We began tearing down the paths again, more guards trying to stop us from the side.

Usopp quickly took aim with the Kabuto. "Continous Fire Star!" The attack ignited the unsuspecting soldiers, knocking them out instantly. We all leaped onto the roof, climbing as high as we possibly could until we had a clear view of Shiki's palace.

"Chopper? Can you trace her scent?" Usopp asked the reindeer he was riding.

"It's no good, I can't smell well because of the Daft Green in the air."

"We have to find Nami! She could be in DANGER!" I shouted.

Usopp rested a hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry, we'll find her, no matter what." He reassured me.

"You're right...sorry you guys..."

"No need to apologize!" Chopper said.

"Wait! I can see her!" Usopp yelled with his goggles over his eyes.

"WHAT!? Really!? Where!?"

"Down there! In the Daft Green grove!"

"Then what the hell are we doing standing around here for!?" I said as we all leapt off of the roof, dashing as fast as possible towards our next destination. I ran faster then I thought possible in order to help her.

"Just a little longer Nami..." Chopper whispered.

We all took a flying jump into the grove, dashing towards a flash of light and electricity that I instantly recognised.

"Billy!" I called to the giant peacock/duck, who cried happily upon seeing us.

"Ellix! Stop!" I turned to see that Chopper was frantically putting on the breaks.

"Hey! What are you do-"

BOOM!

I had failed to notice the explosives that had been wrapped around the Daft Green plants. I was instantly thrown backwards by the blast of fire and noise. I got up with a small groan, dusting off my hat and replacing it on my head before straightening my bowtie.

"Ellix! Are you alright!?" Usopp called over.

"I'm fine!" I called back, I looked over to Billy to see a recognizable unconscious figure wearing a black dress. "NAMI!" I yelled in horror. She was being suspended in the air by metal poles, some destroyed by the recent explosion I dashed over to her and cupped her face in my hands, only to make my eyes widen even more. Her skin was covered in green splotches, signifying she had the same 'Daft' disease as Xiao's grandmother. "Oh god..." I whispered, I began to gently shake her. "Nami? Nami can you hear me!? Please Nami open your eyes!" I felt myself begin to cry at the thought of her dying while she hated me. It was then her eyes slowly fluttered open, allowing me to sigh in relief. I wiped away my tears as she looked at me.

"Ellix...you're here?" She whispered. She buried her face in my tuxedo, tears flowing down her face and wetting my suit. "Ellix...I'm so sorry...for what I said to you...I just..."

I hugged her back as tightly as I could, crying myself. "It's okay...you don't have to say anything..." I felt her body go limp and I feared the worst until I saw she had just fainted.

Usopp ran over and looked at her. "Damn it! She's been poisoned by the plants! She needs a cure!"

Chopper-in Heavy Point-followed suite. "We need to get her out and find a cure!"

We all began pulling out the remaining pipes as quickly as possible until we heard a low rumbling noise.

"Oh no..." I whispered.

"We've got too much on our hands already!" Chopper said.

"Hurry and get Nami out!" Usopp yelled at us. We yanked two out at a time until Nami was finally free, I clutched her close to my chest and ran once again in the opposite direction with Usopp and Chopper as the frenzied animals stormed the Daft Green grove.

 _xxxStrongxWorldxxx_

We ran and didn't stop out of fear that we would have to battle them, until we finally lost them. I gently laid her against a wall as Chopper took of his coat and wrapped it around Nami. "How is she Chopper?" Usopp spoke up.

"It was close, but she's finally able to breath again, we have to do something..."

I kept checking Nami, she was fading fast, and I couldn't lose her. I suddenly felt something next to me and I turned to see Billy, also very worried about her. I patted my friend on the head, trying to reassure myself just as much as him.

"The only thing that can cure 'Daft' is IQ, but Shiki is the only one who has it."

"What?" I asked, now hearing this new piece of information. I looked back to the distant battlefield with new determination. "Then we have to-"

Before I could finish a load of rocks smashed into the support we were standing on, causing us al to fall to the ground. I once again placed my hat back on my head and tightened my bowtie before calling out. "Is Nami-"

"She's okay!" Usopp responded.

I turned to the attacker to see a familiar evil face. "Shiki!"

"You've gona and done it now little girl." He snarled at Nami, his voice laced with hatred for her and her nakamas actions. "It seems you want to die, I don't need you anymore. No matter how hard you struggle I will make sure East Blue is destroyed!" As he finished multiple white lion heads rose from the ground similar to what happened in Xiao's village, roaring and ready to charge at us.

"Usopp...Chopper...get behind me and protect Nami..." I walked out in front of them, no way was I gonna let him hurt them, with my hat covering my eyes I crossed my arms over my chest. "Tekkai..." I was ready to die.

"Ellix! No!" The duo called out.

"Good! Look's like you'll go first brat! Shishi Odoshi: Gosho Chimaki!" The snow covered earth lions charged me, and I readied myself for the impact. "Die in despair!"

"ELLIX!"

I was prepared...but no impact came, I opened my eyes to see that the lion heads had all been destroyed by the figure in front of me. He was wearing a dark red long-sleeved suit with a black tie, and a straw hat was dangling behind his neck via a piece of string around it. His body had turned a hot pink and heavy steam was emanating off of him.

It was Luffy in Gear Second.

"Luffy!" We all yelled happily.

Shiki was enraged even more by Luffy's sudden apperance and his thwarting of his killing plans. " You still want a fight?"

I stepped back and turned to Nami, she had her eyes open weakly and was looking at him. Luffy noticed this and looked over his shoulder at her. "Nami, I'll beat that guy and we'll all go back together!"

"Luffy..." Nami whispered as she drifted back into subconciousness.

"Leave this guy to me, take Nami somewhere safe."

"Got it." I said to my captain.

"Fight hard Luffy!" Usopp called as we ran off.

I saw Billy fly over my head and smiled as he went to assist Straw-Hat Luffy.

 _xxxStrongxWorldxxx_

Eventually we burst into a large room. It was dome-shaped and filled to the brim with large glass containers housing a strange, spindly green plant that I didn't recognise.

"What is this place?" Usopp spoke his mind.

"They're all IQ plants, the type used to rapidly evolve the animals on these islands." Chopper confirmed. "It looks like they use moonlight to plant them."

I clutched Nami closer to me and looked around. "Is there any cure here though?"

Sadly Chopper shook his head. "Almost...we need to-" He abruptly paused mid-sentence, and began sniffing the air with a look of great interest in his eyes. "This smell...it's medicine!" He ran to the opposite end of the room to reveal a staircase. "This way!"

We ran up the stairs until we came to a similar room, except this one was littered with test tubes and beakers with a large manner of chemicals that stayed still or hissed and spat.

"This is where the IQ research is carried out." Chopper reviewed.

I began scanning the huge line-up of odd liquids. "At least one has to be a cure!" I tried checking every one twice, however there were no labels to confirm anything, and none of us dared to taste any.

"Which one should we give her?" Usopp called.

Our search was suddenly interrupted by the sound of...pooting? We all turned our heads upwards to see the professor I saw with Shiki earlier, standing on the second level grinning to himself.

"An enemy!" Ussop cried.

"Who are you!?" I yelled at him, wrapping my arms protectively around Nami.

"So nice to finally meet you! My name is Dr. Indigo!" He laughed, almost as if he found our intrusion amusing.

"He smells of medicine...are you a scientist?"

"Why yes! And an excellent one at that!"

"Hand over the 'Daft' cure!" I yelled at him.

In response he held up a test tube filled with a bright pink liquid. "You mean this? Piropiropiropiro! You think I'll just give it to you baka? I always carry it with me in case of an emergency."

I gently handed Nami over to Chopper, who held her in a piggyback position just like me with Florina. "Hold Nami, I'll take care of this guy!"

"Hold on a second Ellix." A familiar voice called from behind me, I turned to see our green haired swordsman Zoro walking into view with his swords drawn, one in each hand while he carried one by the scabbard in his mouth. "All it is is taking it off of him, back off and I'll cut him to pieces."

"Zoro!" Chopper and Usopp called with joy.

"Alright Zoro, I trust you." I stood back allowing Zoro to pass me.

Dr. Indigo now sat where he was with a genuinely unimpressed look on his face. "Well, looks like you chased me to this place too."

"We need that cure Zoro...show him who's boss!" With Usopp's small speech finished we dashed off down a hallway, splitting up from the two fighters.

We ran outside just in time to see Dr. Indigo get blasted through the wall, followed by Zoro, who seemed downright angry. They stood on a long bridge as Indigo recomposed himself and stood up.

"Chemical Juggling!" Lots of small purple and green flame-like chemicals that looked similar to wisps appeared out of the scientists hands, hanging over his head in an arch. "Ignite!" The small fireballs shot towards Zoro, who could only slash at them to make them dissipate before they hit him, but they still managed to break through and engulf him in a green smokescreen.

"Zoro!" The two next to me called out.

"Piropiropiropiro! Do you feel the power of Chemical Juggling?"

The smoke vanished quickly as Zoro stood unharmed. "I don't have time to juggle with you." He warned him.

Indigo, realising he had to be more serious, shot out a load of flaming chemicals above his head, condensing them into one giant purple and green chemical mass.

"Mass Juggling! Eat this!" He yelled as he threw the giant fireball at Zoro, swallowing him up in a huge explosion.

"Zoro!"

"He ate the whole thing! Piropiropiropiro!"

As he giggled to himself the green smoke turned into a violet/red one, revealing the swordsman without a single injury.

"Demon Spirit...Nine Sword Style." Through sheer energy and power, two identical images of Zoro appeared either side of him, weilding two swords of their own, they had their backs to Zoro's side, making him look like he had grown two extra heads and four more arms. "Asura."

With his form now complete he charged the unsuspecting indigo-haired man, speaking to him with a dark tone and matching aura. "If you were to be..."

"Chemical..."

"...defeated by a pawn born in East Blue like me..."

"...Juggling!" A single flaming chemical was shot at the fast approaching demon, who easily batted it away with one of his ilusions for arms, causing him to gasp as the swordsman reached him.

"Piercing Drill!" Zoro slashed him with all nine swords simultaneously in a quick spin, sending the annoying man flying into the air while Zoro stood in his pose, as Dr. Indigo crashed onto the bridge, the fire from Zoro's swords ignited the scientists chemicals and caused him to blow up himself and the bridge, while Zoro's extra appendages faded like a mirage.

"...then what would that make you?" He said.

"Zoro is super cool." Me and Chopper said in unison without thinking, hey, I give him credit a lot.

"I just wanna know if he's invincible." Usopp asked.

"Chopper!" The reindeer who looked like a gorilla held one hand out as a small vial containing a pink liquid landed in it.

"It's the cure."

"I'm heading back now, take care of Nami."

"Yeah!" All three of us agreed. The demon turned and ran off...in completely the wrong direction due to his terrible sense of navigation.

"That way man!" Usopp called as both me and him pointed the right way, he just grunted in annoyance and did a U-turn.

 _xxxStrongxWorldxxx_

As we ran off again I happened to spot Sanji furiously kicking that scarlet gorilla I saw earlier with a foot literally on fire. Once the monkey was beaten to a pulp I watched with wide eyes as he jumped off the tower he was on to catch a falling Robin who had been in the apes clutches moments before. However with a "Yohohohoho!" Brook leaped and caught her first, allowing Sanji to smash into the ground.

I burst out laughing at the sight. "Hahahahahahaha! You baka Sanji!" I swear he had heard me as I saw him lift his head and angrily glare around.

It was then that I heard a small moan and turned to see Nami waking up on Chopper's back after Usopp had given her the medicine. "Where are we?" She asked weakly.

"Nami!" We all burst out.

I ran beside Chopper to talk to her. "Thank Oda you're awake." She looked at all three of us with sad, but joyous eyes.

"The cure worked!" Chopper cried happily.

"Did you come to save me?"

"Not just us!" The sniper said. " Zoro, Franky, Brook, Robin, Luffy...we all came!"

She stared at us with wide eyes at the people she had betrayed, but still came to save her, causing her to start crying again. "Thank you..." She sobbed.

I wiped away her tears with my hand. "No problem..." She pressed her face against Chopper's back to hide her face.

"Oi, oi, this isn't the time to cry." Usopp tried to reassure her.

"I know."

"Nami...no matter what happens, we're gonna get you out of this place." I said seriously.

"Ellix..." Nami whispered sadly before turning to Chopper. "But if we don't beat Shiki then East Blue will be-" She paused abruptly to stare at the sky, she was examining the weather. "Stop!" All three of us were surprised by the outburst but did so none the less.

"What's wrong Nami?" Her carrier asked.

"A storm is coming..." Our eyes widened at our navigators statement, knowing that her skills made it correct. "The air pressure's dropping, a big cloud must be nearby...we need to go back to the palace."

"Eh!?" All three of us yelled.

I thought about it, but in the end nodded. "Okay, let's go."

Before we could run back though a familiar silver claw smashed the ground in front of us, with all my anger I glared at the next opponent. "Silver!"

"YOU'VE GONE WAY TOO FAR STRAW-HAT PIRATES!" He roared. "DON'T THINK YOU WILL LEAVE THIS PLACE ALIVE!"

"You don't get to decide that!" I screamed as I dashed forward and punched him in the face, knockng him into a nearby building. I knew what I had to do now...

"Ellix..." I turned to see Nami shaking her head at me. "Don't..."

I walked over to her and smiled. "I swear on my life I'll be back." I then placed both hands on my top hat, and placed it on her head. "I've gotta teach this guy a lesson."

I turned around and threw off my tuxedo, revealing a dark blue long-sleeved shirt with my bowtie still attached. "Take care of Nami." I told Usopp and Chopper.

I then dashed off of the path and landed with a crash on the roof, my new opponent gritting his teeth at me while I glared back. "I've got a score...to settle with you..."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Ellix vs Silver

We stood for a minute, simply sizing each other up, before Silver spoke, or rather shouted.

"YOU ALL REALLY ARE A BUNCH OF FOOLS!" He yelled. "GOING AGAINST THE WORLD GOVERNMENT AND NOW US!? IDIOTS! ALL OF YOU! WHY WOULD YOU DO SOMETHING SO MORONIC!?"

I just furrowed my brow. "Because you want to attack East Blue, the only home I've ever known...You destroyed Florina and Xiao's village, the only home they've ever known...and you hurt the woman I love...I won't forgive you."

I slammed my palms into the sides of my head. "Daydream!" The familiar rainbow veil and strands returned, and I prepared myself. "Luffy is fighting for his nakama...and I am too!"

I threw my arm back. "Dori Dori no Hammer!" My hand morphed into the shape of a hammer and my arm stretched over to Silver, having the same properties as a rubber band, my hammer hand smashed the place he previously stood, as the smartly dressed loud mouth had run on the air beside me to avoid it.

"YOU'VE ONLY MADE YOUR ARM MORE OPEN TO ATTACKS!" He yelled. As he shot a silver claw at me I bunched up my arm until there was only my now normal fist in just half a second. Silver was taken aback by the sudden loss of my limb.

"Dori Dori no Tension Shot!" My arm stretched out and punched him in the face, quickly followed by some pumped up energy which tripled the damage, sending him smashing him into a wall. "Dream Dream Hammer!" I morphed my hand and stretched again to hit him and again he dashed around me on air. He dashed through the falling snow towards me as I stretched both my arms above my head.

"Dori Dori no..." I waited until the very last second, just as he was about to stab my defenceless body with his claws. "...X Bash!" I brought both my arms crashing across his own chest in a large 'X', knocking him back. "Dream Dream Rope!" My flattened arm turned more spindly and whip like as it wound around my opponents leg. Before he could react I slammed him into the ground and leaped above him, bunching up both my arms.

"Dori Dori no...Rapid Fire!" I threw both my fists at him with my built up energy, like Luffy's Gum Gum Gatling, I had specifically imagined it to have a whiplash-like effect, meaning the more I used it the stronger and faster it became. My arms hit more rapidly, until my arms looked liked they'd multiplied, and then continued until it looked like the wind itself was pounding Silver into the ground.

I tired and landed next to the massive smoke cloud I created, panting quickly. When the dust cleared he stood with his now dent-covered claws raised above his head protectively. "YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT WODOS T. ELLIX!" He shouted. He sent a claw at me that I narrowly dodged.

"Dori Dori no Hair Whip!" My hair stretched out from my head and lashed at the metal arms, pounding them but doing no damage to it's bearer, so my inanimate weapon returned to its normal length and style. "Dream Dream Claws!" My hands instantly turned into long rainbow claws similar to Silver's. We charged each other with battle crys, our weapons clashing and scraping against each other, both of us cringing at the sound of the screeching metal.

Silver abruptly leapt into the air and stood on it. "SILVER STABBINGS!" He launched his weapons down from the air repeatedly, attempting to skewer me. Thankfully I dodged by rolling away and knocked him down with a quick cut. We slashed continuously, fiery sparks shooting out from each impact, we grabbed each others claws and dug our heels into the ground, pushing against each other while still glaring, eventually we both broke away, skidding against the snow.

"SILVER MISSILES!" The spikes detached themselves and fired at me.

"Dori Dori no Shield!" I brought my two claws together as they both formed into a giant multicoloured shield that the projectiles dug themselves into except for my skin. However they still exploded, throwing me back against the wall.

I quickly got up as two claws shot themselves at me. "Dori Dori no Chibi!" I shrunk down to a quarter of my usual size, but my head stayed the same, with my reduced surface area I easily dodged the rest of the stabs before returning to normal, luckily my clothes had grown and shrunk with me.

"ARE YOU SCREWING WITH ME!?" Silver roared angrily.

"No way! I'm fighting with dreams! All of them are serious! Dori Dori no Swords!" My arms this time transformed into sharp colourful swords. "Dori Dori no Mantis Cutter!" I flailed my arms around frantically towards him, clashing and throwing sparks everywhere as he could only be pushed backwards.

"ENOUGH!" He threw off my attack and punched me in the gut, sending me flying back, I stood up and clutched my aching stomach, trying not to hurl.

"Dori Dori no Drill!" My arm turned into a drill (something I'd thought of thanks to Musshuru.) and launched it at him, using my arm as the connection. Silver crossed his metal arms to block the spinning weapon, but it still smashed him into the wall. I stared at the hole cautiously, noticing the metal claw shooting out too late as it punched me in the face, making me crash straight through the building behind me and consequently down on top of me.

I threw the wreckage off of me only to find that I couldn't maintain Daydream anymore, as the veil and threads faded. "Aaaarrrggghhh! Damn it all!" I rolled helplessly on the floor, my palms imprinted on my forehead as my brain tried to get out again.

"IT SEEMS YOU LOSE WODOS T. ELLIX! PLEASE FORGIVE ME BUT I HAVE SOMEWHERE ELSE I NEED TO BE!" And with that he began running off into the air with incredible speed.

"Hey!" I yelled, still massaging my throbbing head. "I'm not through with you yet!" I gave chase into the sky with Geppo.

He only seemed to notice me as we ascended higher and higher. "YOU REALLY ARE PERSISTENT AREN'T YOU!? ALLOW ME TO REWARD THAT!" He dug his claws into the rockface we were dashing up, pulling a large chunk out and cutting it up so that multiple rocks fell towards me.

"Soru!" I dashed in between the falling obstacles, still giving chase even when the claws connected with my face yet again. We continued running up the rock until we reached the top, then proceeding to jump off the other edge and free-fall through the rushing wind.

He whipped his long, metal attached arms at me while falling. "Kami-E Slime!" My body flipped and slithered its way around the attacks without contact, "Shigan Dangan!" I shot an air bullet at him with my finger, he spun in midair to avoid it, I tried several times but he just did the same thing.

We both landed with two crashes on a floating forest and began dashing through it, with Silver leaping from tree to tree while I dashed after him on the ground.

"Rankakyu Igama!" The air wave cut through a large portion of trees and most almost crushed him, but he dodged every one, still running on air.

"SILVER STABBINGS!" He turned around and lashed out at me again.

"Geppo!" I kicked off the air to evade the incoming silver claws.

We came out of the forest and dashed into the wind and snow once more. "YOUR TENACIOUSNESS IS GETTING ANNOYING!" He cut up several more floating rocks and threw them at me. Using my speed alone I was able to parkour over them as they fell towards me, dashing to the top of one before somersaulting over another so I could wall jump off of the rest.

"Kami-E!" I made my right arm go limp and began twisting it around, until it was completely twisted, similar to Luffy's Gum Gum Rifle. "Shigan Neji!" I drove my finger into Silver's unsuspecting back, untwisting it at the same time so it acted like a strong, sharp drill. He was shot down into some more floating rocks, where he emerged two seconds later very angrily.

"THAT DOES IT!" He dashed onto a nearby rock and waited, I landed in front of him a few seconds later. "IT'S TIME TO SHOW YOU WHY THIS IS POINTLESS!" He jabbed his real, non-metallic finger into the distance. "TAKE A LOOK!"

I stared at where he was pointing. At first I couldn't see anything, but then I saw two recognisable figures drowning in a suspended block of water, with Shiki hovering over them. "Luffy...Billy..."

Shiki swiped his sword legs, sending loads of yellow slashes into the water, hitting the two prisoners inside and launching them down onto another island with a massive explosion. "LUFFY!"

"YOUR CAPTAIN HAS LOST YET AGAIN WODOS T. ELLIX!" Silver cackled. "DO YOU GIVE UP YET!? TOO LATE! NOT EVEN GROVELLING TO SAVE YOUR LIFE WILL SPARE YOU OR ANY OF YOUR CREWMATES NOW!"

I turned on him with an angry expression. "Luffy hasn't lost yet you baka, he will never lose! Luffy is the man who will be Pirate King! All you've done is make me want to pound you even more!"

"BIG WORDS FROM SUCH A SMALL BOY! VERY WELL THEN! LETS FINISH THIS NOW!" He suddenly ran upwards towards a large group of storm clouds.

"GET BACK HERE!" I shouted after him, dashing into the accumulating weather disaster myself. We met again in the air, him standing on it, me keeping above it with Geppo, staying in the same place like if I was hopping on the spot. There was nothing but black clouds above and beneath us, we were sandwiched between them in the middle of a howling blizzard.

"THIS ENDS HERE AND NOW!"

"Your damn right it does!"

We charged each other with another battle cry, my real fist connecting with his steel one, before we pushed each other back again. "Rankakyu Rasshu!" I spun north-east, south-east, south-west and north west repeatedly, launching more air waves that were either avoided or blocked with silver arms. We charged at each other screaming again and again, punching and slashing and blocking and swiping so fast they were only blurs, breaking away once more we narrowly avoided the long dragon made entirely of lightning shoot up between us. It burst into the clouds covering us and instantly blue lightning bolts began connecting the upper clouds with the lower clouds.

I smiled slightly. 'Way to go Usopp.'

"IS THIS ONE OF YOUR CREWMATES WORK!?" Silver questioned. "SO YOUR TOO WEAK TO FIGHT ME ON YOUR OWN HUH!? YOU NEED THE WEATHERS HELP!?"

"Nope!" I called over the howling of wind and snow and the new crashing of lightning. "Nami once told me...that you can direct the weather, make it, and move it...but you can never truly control it! I'm in as much danger as you!"

"IN THAT CASE I WILL BE THE ONLY ONE TO ESCAPE THIS PLACE ALIVE!" We charged again, every time our punches connected a flash of lightning would appear next to us, almost as if it was enjoying the ferocious battle.

"Shigan Koren Dangan!"

"SILVER NEEDLES!"

I stabbed the air rapidly with my finger as more shiny spikes were shot at me, the two groups of projectiles continued to slam into each other with perfect accuracy, until an explosion knocked both suppliers back.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhh!"

"AHHHHHHHHH!"

We crashed into each other again, a huge lightning bolt striking meer centimeters away from us, as we both fell back and struggled to stay in between our battlefield a large object suddenly rose up from the lower clouds, after they parted it was revealed to be a giant foot.

"WHAT'S THIS!?"

"I told you...It's Luffy!"

"IMPOSSIBLE!"

Another lightning strike came down, this time enveloping Luffy's now giant leg, causing it to spark and jolt as the energy swirled around it.

"Luffy!" I yelled out. "I know you can do it!"

"FOOL!" Suddenly two metal claws clamped around my stomach. "SEEING AS HOW YOU TRUST YOUR CAPTAIN SO MUCH...IT IS ONLY FAIR THAT HE KILLS YOU!"

He then thrusted me onto Luffy's enormous electrified foot, The lightning shot through my body, zapping every bone, blood vessel and organ possible. "ARRRRGGGGGHHHH! YOU!" I grabbed the arms, gritting my teeth from the contact with the spikes and pulled as hard as possible, throwing him onto the body part whilst launching me off of it, spinning like a wheel.

"AHHHHAHHHAHHHAHHHA!" Silver cried in pain.

"Soru Tsuisutā!" I dashed towards him, spinning my whole body until I looked like a mini cyclone, heading on a crash couse for Silver after he bounced off.

Before I could collide with him a bolt of electricity shot down from the sky and pierced right through me. "AAAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHH!"

Silver just smirked. "IT SEEMS LIKE THE WEATHER REALLY IS AGAINST YOU! THIS IS THE FINISHING BLOW!"

He shot his right metal claw high up into the sky, and then brought it crashing down onto my charred back, making me cough up blood and getting thrown away.

For a minute I didn't know what was happening, all I could see was grey and white and snow and wind as I plummeted towards the ground, with a burning body and a small trickle of blood running down my face. It was just like the time we got seperated.

And yet, over all the noise and flashes I could still hear a voice, loud and clear. "DO YOU THINK YOU CAN DO TO MY NAKAMA...AND THE SEAS...WHATEVER THE HELL YOU WANT!?"

'Luffy...' I thought. '...I'm not through yet! I'll make that jerk pay for everything he's done! For Luffy! For my nakama! For Florina and Xiao! For Nami!'

I spun around super fast like a sea train wheel in order to reposition myself. "Geppo Bakuhashu!" I stamped down on the air hard, launching me back up into the ominous clouds like a human rocket thanks to a small air explosion. I soon passed through and could see him.

"SIIIIIIIIIIIILVEEEEEEEEEEER!"

He looked at me with huge eyes. "AGAIN!? HOW LONG WILL YOU ALLOW THIS POINTLESS GAME TO GO ON!?" He raised both his claws. "NO MORE!" He aimed both at my incoming shape.

"SILVER LION STRIKE!"

Both claws shot down and stuck themselves in my chest in time with another bolt of lightning, I roared in pain from the hit.

"THIS BED OF THUNDER AND LIGHTNING WILL BE THE LAST PLACE YOU SEE ON YOUR DESCENT TO HELL! ALL YOUR PRECIOUS 'NAKAMA' WILL ONLY ACKNOWLEDGE YOU AS A FOOLISH WEAKLING WHO COULDN'T DO ANYTHING! NOW **DIE!**

I gritted my teeth and grabbed onto his metal arms, ignoring the pain. "You say I'll die!? That they'll remember me as nothing!?" He glared at me.

"No way in hell! DREAMS WILL NEVER DIE!" I dashed into his body, shattering his metal arms and gauntlets whilst breaking his real arms.

The bone shattering blow caused him to skid back against the air, straight into another lightning bolt. "AHHHRRRGGHAAAAGGAAAAHHH!" He fell to his hands and knees on the wind. I climbed higher and higher up until I was just below the upper cloud level.

"GUM GUM...GIANT THOR..."

Luffy's giant foot began to descend.

"...AXE!"

The attack hit it's opponent and a large floating piece of land with a massive kaboom, uliminating everything in electric blue.

"MASTER SHIKIIIIII!"

"Hey! You're fighting me Silver!"

He glared at me with all of his fury and hatred. "I WILL MAKE ALL OF YOU PAY!"

"No way in hell you will!"

I raised both of my fingers towards the sky. Another bolt crashed down, this time using both my arms as conducting rods, wrapping them both in blue lightning.

"YOU REALLY ARE A MERE FOOL! YOUR ARMS WILL BE DESTROYED!"

I felt the strong stinging sensation very hard, but all I was focusing on was him. "Shut up!" I pulled both of my lighning enforced arms back.

"Luffy...will NEVER let you go to East Blue! And I...will NEVER...let you hurt Nami or anyone else **EVER AGAIN**!"

I began throwing my arms into thin air, building up speed. "Rokushiki: Himitsu no tekunikku!"

I threw my arms faster and faster until it looked like I was throwing several at once.

" **ZEUS LIGHTNING SHIGAN!** "

Suddenly blue lightning bolts shot from my arms and downwards, piercing Silver's body in a single millisecond. With every stab I threw another one, hundreds of electric shots flew down and zapped my opponent into submission, crackling and booming it's mighty power on the defenceless yell as I gave a final battle cry.

"AaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH **HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!** "

Finally I sent two massive bolts down at once, using up the last of my lightning and sending a charred, unconcious Silver plummeting through the clouds.

I had won.

I managed to keep myself in the air with Geppo for a little bit, but I soon let myself fall.

I fell throught the clouds and down towards the ground, too tired for the moment to move. When suddenly I landed on something soft.

"Huh?"

"Ellix!"

I turned to the little voice to see Luffy in his chibi form, and I found out I was actually on top of Billy. "Luffy! Billy!"

The duck cried happily upon seeing me. "Luffy! Way to go! You beat Shiki!" I said. "I knew you could do it!"

He grinned at me. "Shishishi! Of course I did" He replied in his high pitched voice. "Hey! I saw that loud guy fall through the clouds! Did you beat him?"

I smiled. "Doririririri! Yep!" I then happened to glance behind me. "Hey Luffy! Look!"

After returning to normal size, Luffy held onto his straw hat as we looked at the islands. Now no longer under Shiki's power, they began to fall into the ocean, and we could make out Shiki, Silver, Indigo and that gorilla fall with them.

"We did it." Luffy said with a smile.

"Yeah..."

"Mr Elliiiiiiiiiiix!"

At the cry we both turned to see a familiar figure flying towards us, followed by Xiao and both of their families.

"Florina!" I called out. "You all really can fly!"

She flew beside me. "Mr Ellix! Mr Luffy! You really did it!" It was then she looked at my arms. "Mr Ellix! Your arms!"

I raised an eyebrow and looked at them, my jaw dropping, they were completely burnt and bruised, quite literally a train wreck. Florina began biting her lip. "Does it hurt like my arm?"

"No, no, it's nothing, see?" I waved both my arms, biting down hard on my tongue as a large amount of pain shot through both of them.

Xiao, Niko, and their mums also flew up to us. "Florina! I told you it's not safe!" Florina's mother told her angrily.

"You too Xiao!" Xiao's mum also said.

"Sorry mum." The two spoke together.

"Sorry your homes ruined now." I sighed, looking at the falling rocks.

"It was ruined when the animals charged through." Florina's mum said. "Thank you for stopping Shiki."

"No problem!" Luffy said.

"Mr Ellix! Mr Luffy! We're going on an adventure too! We're gonna find somewhere else!" Florina happily exclaimed.

"That's great!" I said.

"Yeah Flori! You get to go on an adventure with your family!" Luffy laughed.

"Me too!" Xiao spoke up.

"Yep! It's gonna be so cool!" Niko said as well.

Florina bit her lip and started crying again, then abruptly hugged me, I didn't flinch from the action, I had expected it. "So...this is goodbye Mr Ellix...Mr Luffy." She whispered sadly.

"Nope!" I bluntly proclaimed.

She looked at me with wide glassy eyes. "Huh?"

"Not goodbye! We're gonna sail to the end of the New World and back again! So we're bound to see you again! So see you soon!"

She looked at me with huge eyes before crying again. "Y-Yep...see you again Mr Ellix! Thank you so so much!"

"Me as well?" Xiao asked.

"Yep!" Luffy said, Billy agreeing with him with a happy quack.

They all began flying away from us. "Thank you! Say thank you to your friends as well!" Florina's mum called out.

"Tell your friend that I'm sorry! And that I hope you all do well!" Xiao's mum yelled.

"Bye-bye for now!" Niko called.

"See you soon!" Florina and Xiao shouted.

"See you soon!" Me and Luffy shouted back.

And with that the two families flew off, out towards the rising golden sun...together.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: We Move Forward! Onto the New World!

I slowly woke up, my first thought being 'What the heck happened?'. After looking around I realized I was in Choppers medical room, my smart (tattered) clothes had been changed to a plain blue shirt and red shorts, and my arms were completely covered in bandages.

"Ah Ellix! Your awake!" I recognised Chopper's voice immediantely and sat up, seeing the little reindeer on his awesome spinning chair mixing chemicals. "How come it's always your arms that get messed up? I'm running out of bandages! But luckily your gonna make a full recovery."

"Uggghhh...Chopper? What happened?" I asked groggily.

"Billy dropped you and Luffy on the ship, apparently you fell asleep halfway here."

"Hmmm...sounds like me. Anyway thanks for bandaging me up again."

He started his little dance once more. "Jerk! Why do you always say stuff like that!?" I just laughed, wincing afterwards at the pain in my arms.

"Ellix..." I turned to Nami, who looked like she'd been there some time. She was now wearing a plain buttoned white shirt, I presume short shorts, and had her hair in two pigtails again.

"Nami! You're okay!" I abruptly stood up only to feel an intense dizziness, forcing me to sit down again.

"You're very weak at the moment." Chopper lectured me. "Try to get some rest."

"I'll be fine! I'll take a power nap later." I replied confidently.

The small doctor got off of his chair and walked to the door. "Okay, I'll leave you two alone for a bit." And with that he walked out.

Nami dragged a chair with her and used it to sit in front of me, I noticed she was clutching my top hat, still in perfect condition. "Listen Ellix...I have a lot to apologize for."

I shook my head and smiled. "You don't have to say anything. I know that whatever you do you always do it with the best intentions."

She frowned at me. "Your too quick to forgive."

"Well what's wrong with that?"

"Nothing its just..." She looked like she was about to say something, but quickly swallowed back the sentence. "I...didn't want you to get hurt."

I crossed my arms. "Nani? But if I was gonna rescue you of course I'd get hurt. Well unless I was really careful...or maybe if-"

"That's the whole point!" She said abruptly, cutting me off. "I didn't WANT you to come!"

I frowned. "Well you said that to everyone on that message right? Why didn't you just tell me on the Tone Dial?"

She buried her head in her hands. "Damn it Ellix! I'm trying to say that I wanted everyone else to come after me but to leave you behind!"

I frowned. "But why? Why not me? If you wanted everyone else to save you then why not me?"

She looked up at me, and I reslised she was crying. "Because...because your important to me you baka! I said I hated you so you'd stay away! So you wouldn't get hurt! I knew you would!"

"But I didn't!"

"Your arms got ELECTROCUTED!"

"So did Luffy's leg!"

"He's rubber you baka! Lightning doesn't work on him!" She was practically shouting now. "I didn't want you to hurt yourself because I knew you'd go overboard if you came after me!" She began to quietly sob. "You...almost died because of me..."

I sat there for a few seconds, taking in what she said. When I fully comprehended it, I pulled her into a close embrace.

"I knew you did it for a good reason." I whispered. "But you should have known...that no matter what you would have said to me...I still would have come after you...I would still have got hurt for you. Because I wasn't gonna let Shiki take you away...you're the most important thing in the world to me...I love you."

I felt tears stain my shoulder and fingers dig into my back. "Ellix..."

I smiled. "Please don't cry anymore, I'd have to get Luffy to beat the hell out of me."

She leaned back and kissed me on the lips, smiling now. "Okay...can't have Luffy doing that after Sanji."

I nodded. "Yep."

I felt something fall onto my head, i reached up and touched a brim, realising it was my top hat. "Let's go out okay?"

"Doriririri! Right!"

Keeping my top hat perched on my cranium, we walked outside the medical room where we were instantly swamped by all the crewmates.

"Hey! Are you both okay?" Usopp cried.

"Yes, thank you Usopp." Nami said.

"My arms have felt better, but other then that I'm A-OK!"

"Nami-swaaaan! Thank goodness you have recovered!...Good to see your okay too shitty dreamer."

"I was so worried about you two!" Brook called. "But now...Nami-san! May I please see your-"

He was abruptly cut off by a kick from Sanji and me (on account of my arms). "No way!" We yelled together.

"Yohohoho! Oh, how harsh..." Brook sighed.

"It is not!" We cried together.

"It's good to see your okay Ellix, Nami." Robin said with a smile.

"Sleepy! Nami sis! You've got some nerve making me worry like that!" Franky wailed.

"For the last time she's not your sis!" I yelled.

"Glad your up." Zoro said with a hint of a smirk.

I noticed that the one person who was not here was Luffy. I looked around on deck to see him fishing over the side, ignoring us on purpose, which was rare for him.

"Hey Luffy? Are you okay?" Nami asked.

Luffy walked across the deck with a disappointed look on his face. "Hey Nami! You've got some explaining to do!" He then reached into his pocket and held out the golden Tone Dial, as if it was incriminating evidence. "About this!"

Nami and me both gasped at the object. "Luffy! You actually kept that Tone Dial!?"

"Luffy, I can explain." Nami said.

"Why did you say we couldn't beat Shiki!? You said we would die if we fought him! Sure he buried us, but you could have had a little more faith in us!" He then pointed at me. "And why did you say something like that to Ellix!? Your supposed to trust him the most! You made him cry!"

I slightly blushed, more out of anger. "Luffy! Don't say that!"

Nami looked at me sadly. "You really got hurt...didn't you?"

"No. no, no! It's not like that!"

"Hey Luffy! What are you talking about?" Usopp asked.

"Huh?"

"You mean you didn't hear all of it?" Zoro also asked.

"Hear what?" Luffy asked impatiently.

"Your so thick-headed." Sanji said. "The last part was the most important!"

"Hey, let's just listen to it again!" Franky suggested.

"N-No wait! Don't do that!" Nami said.

"Luffy, who wanted to know what everyone was talking about (and truth be told I did too.) clicked the apex of the shell and caused the message to replay itself.

 _"Everyone...please forgive me for not saying goodbye to you personally..."_

Nami began chasing Luffy around the Sunny. "Luffy! Stop it! Give it here!"

"Why?" Luffy retorted.

"Because it's embarrasing!" Nami called. She finally snatched it out of Luffy's hand.

"Nami! Give it back!"

"Ellix! Catch!" She threw the shell at me, I clumsily caught it, making me my rubbery captains new target.

"Ellix! Let me listen to it!" He launched himself at me, I dodged around him with Soru, until Usopp also ran at me.

"Ellix! Be careful with that Tone Dial! It's very valuable!" He jumped at me too, I dashed in a full circle around Sunny until I came to Nami.

"Thanks Ellix, please can you get rid of that Dial?" Nami asked sweetly.

I stared down at the Dial, I raised my hand, then stopped as I listened to it.

 _"I'm going to be a part of Shiki's crew, from now on. Please try to understand. Shiki is a very legendary man, and he's just too powerful for you all to handle."_

"Ellix!" Nami said in an annoyed tone. "What are you doing!?"

"I'm sorry Nami, but I wanna listen to it too. I think I should at least listen to the message you left for us!"

"Ellix give that Dial to me!" As she made a grab for it I dashed to the top of the mast. "Ellix! Come down and give me that Dial!" I knew I was in trouble from her tone, but...better to have no regrets. I continued to listen.

 _"If you fight him, you'll all be needless sacrifices."_

Suddenly a hand latched onto the edge of the mast. "I wanna listen too!" Luffy rocketed up to the top of the mast, knocking me and the Tone Dial off. Luckily I landed on my feet next to Sunny's figurehead.

 _"So…let me just say this…"_

Luffy, Nami and Usopp had backed me against the lion figurehead, I teetered dangerously on the edge.

"H-Hold on a second!" I yelled. "We're too close to the sea!"

"Let me listen!"

"Ellix! You don't understand! Give it to me!"

"It's valuable! Don't lose it!"

I backed up too much and felt myself begin to fall back.

"Ahhhhhhhhh! Crud!" I yelled as I fell off the Sunny's figurehead towards my watery grave.

A large bolt of pain suddenly shot through my arm, I bit down on my tongue and looked up, all three of my previous attackers had grabbed my arm to stop me from falling. I looked at my other arm to see that I had dropped the precious Tone Dial, I could only watch as it dropped into the sea with a plop.

The three lifted me up onto the deck in a crumpled mess before speaking.

"Awwwww! I wanted to listen to it! No fair!"

"Phew! That was close!"

"There goes a really rare Dial..."

As for me, I just smiled. "...He..he...ha...hahahahahaha!" I pulled Nami into a hug, which she was very surprised at.

"Ellix?"

"Eh? Why's Ellix acting weird again?"

"Ellix? What's wrong with you?"

I just continued to hug Nami and laugh, as I replayed the Tone Dial's final part of the message over and over in my head.

 _"So please...save me!"_


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Arrival at the Red Line! The Straw Hats meet Camie and Pappug!

"We made it...we finally made it this far!" A young man yelled. He was wearing a dark blue shirt with no sleeves and black shorts, not forgetting his straw hat. This was my captain, Monkey D. Luffy, captain of the Straw Hat Pirates and known by his enemies as 'Straw Hat Luffy'.

"It's been quite a journey, that's for sure." I said. I had on a black and red checkered short sleeved shirt with baggy brown shorts. I am Wodos T. Ellix, the lookout, known as 'Rokushiki Nightmare'.

"It's been so long, it's such a deep feeling." An orange haired woman sighed, she wore a yellow shirt with orange flowers on it, accompanied by a white pair of short shorts. This was our navigator and the most important person in the world to me, 'Cat Burglar' Nami.

"That day...it was raining fiercely." A blond haired cook spoke up, it hung over his left eye, whilst his other eye showed he had a weird swirly eyebrow. He was dressed in a crisp black suit and tie, smoking a cigarette. Sanji, 'Black Leg' Sanji, was his name.

"We've grown a lot since that time." A green haired man said with a smirk. He had on a red and white shirt too, although it was in vertical stripes, followed by some black trousers and boots. 'Pirate Hunter' Roronoa Zoro, but everyone called him Zoro.

"I...It's taken me 50 years to make it here." This came from a skeleton with an afro dressed in gentlemanly attire. Brook, the musician of the Straw Hats and 'Dead Bones' Brook.

"Shishishi!" Luffy laughed. "Anyway, we're halfway done! The Twin Capes where we met Laboon are on the other side of this sea and are connected by this wall! I'm glad we made it this far without losing anyone!"

'Luffy sounded smart!' I inwardly gasped.

"It's so huuuuuuge! I can't see the top!" 'Cotton Candy Lover' Chopper, our doctor, called out. He looked like a reeindeer, apart from the fact he was dwarf-sized, stood on two legs, had a blue nose, and wore pink shorts and a matching hat with a white cross on it.

"The Red Line!" We all cried out together. Before us was a giant looming rock wall, our ship, the Thousand Sunny, was dwarved by it.

"I feel like crying...so much has happened." A long nosed man wearing a blue and white bandanna with a matching shirt sobbed. The sniper Usopp, also known by his alter-ego, Sogeking, 'The King of Snipers'.

Our shipwright 'Cyborg' Franky spoke next. "I remember going over Reverse Mountain from South Blue, but that was over 30 years ago!" He had light blue hair and thick arms with blue stars imprinted on them, and wore sunglasses with a purple hawaiin shirt and...ugh...no trousers...just speedos...

"5 years ago...I came to this sea from West Blue." The raven haired woman spoke with a lot of experience. She had on a dark purple shirt with matching skinny jeans. 'Devil's Child' Nico Robin, or just Robin to us.

"Yosh!" Luffy said with determination in the face of the giant rock wall. "I'm gonna be...the Pirate King!"

xxxSummitxWarxxx

We were all relaxing on the Sunny for a while before we started again, we had been travelling non-stop for days after all, plus the whole Shiki incident.

"Wahoo! This pools great!" Usopp called out. He and Chopper were swimming in the Sunny's inflatable pool, Chopper wearing an inflatable tube due to his...how would Usopp put this? Devil-Fruit-caused-sink-like-a-hammer disease, even though it's not really an illness.

"I wanna try as well!" I whined. Truth be told it looked too cold for my liking.

"Then come on in! There's an extra tube!" Chopper called.

"Ummm...no thanks."

"Wimp!" They both called out together.

"Hey!"

The two burst out laughing. I just sighed, my nakama are really important to me, but thay are annoying sometimes. I glanced at a certain skeleton and cyborg. 'Especially those two.'

Flashback

"MY EYEEEEEES! THEY BURRRRRRRN!" I yelled out, covering my mentioned body part and turning away. "FRANKY! DON'T JUST FLASH... **THOSE** IN PUBLIC LIKE THAT! FOR THE LOVE OF ODA TURN AROUND AT LEAST!"

"He's a true man!" Luffy and Chopper wailed.

"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU TWO!?"

I refused to look at the half-naked cyborg pervert. I was a man damn it! Nami had finally got together with me! I was NOT gonna look at...THOSE.

"Luffy, I believe Franky may need a bit more...persuasion." I got interested by Robin's voice, the final word obviously having a hidden meaning.

"Nani? What do you mean Robin?" I heard Luffy ask.

I heard a faint giggle, it just reeked of maliciousness. "Dos Fleur..." I heard a very faint blooming sound, after quickly debating what to do in my head curiosity got the better of me and I turned around, peeking through two fingers.

To my relief Franky had turned around, at first I couldn't see anything, but after swerving around a certain area I saw two arms sprouting from his legs, hanging close to his...manhood.

'No...' I gasped in my head. Franky was sweating bullets.

'She wouldn't...' Me, Luffy and Chopper leaned over the edge of our new ship.

'Not even Robin is THAT cruel!' I tried to tell myself in my head. After a few seconds which felt like hours, she finally spoke.

"Grab."

I heard a pair of hands clench together...quickly copied by the pair on Franky's legs.

"OOOOOOOWWWWWWOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWW" Franky yelled with a horrible look on his face as his 'treasures' were grabbed.

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!" Chopper shrieked.

"THE PAIIIIIIIIIIIIN!" I shouted, almost as if it was me.

"THEY HAVE BEEN GRAAAAAAAAABBED!" Luffy called, all of our eyes popping out of our skulls.

"OOOOOWWWWWOOOOW! OW! OW! OW! OOOOOWOOOOOOOOOW!" Franky cried out in pain, scuttling back and forth like a crab as he could only endure the torture that only a man can imagine.

"THEY'LL POP LIKE GRAPES!" I screamed frantically.

"AHHHHHHHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA!" Chopper wailed for the cyborg.

"H-Hey Robin! Don't take them off! I still want him to be a man when he joins!" Luffy told our archeologist, trying to make her spare Franky's precious items.

Finally the hands released their prize, allowing Franky to collapse from the pain.

"It hurts just thinking about it..." Chopper whispered.

I crossed my legs and placed my hands over my own out of reflex and fear. "Please don't do that to me Robin..." I squeaked.

She smiled at me. "Of course not...Lookout-san."

Still, that didn't stop me from keeping away from her for the next few hours.

xxxSummitxWarxxx

I just stood there, my lower jaw against the floor. Why? Because there was a frikkin SKELETON, who was ALIVE, and had an AFRO, on a GHOST SHIP, talking with Luffy! How many times had anyone seen that!? Oh! Right, NONE!

Luffy, however was loving every minute, watching as the skeleton leaned 45 degrees against the mast and making skull jokes. After more laughing from Luffy he noticed the rest of us, particularly Nami.

"Ah! Please forgive me for not noticing a beautiful lady such as yourself." He said politely. "I have quite a thing for beautiful ladies."

He gently rested his cane against a table and straightened what looked like a blue bowtie, then began walking over to us. I went into a battle stance just in case as he bowed before Nami, I had to admit, this guy was very well-mannered. He then spoke. "May I please see your panties?"

Well, there goes that theory.

The skeleton recieved a triple death kick from me, Nami and Sanji. "NO WAY IN HELL!"

Flashback End

Luffy, Robin and Brook all climbed down the hatch into the awesome Shark Submerge III, as Nami took a seat in front of a Den Den Mushi I walked over and sat beside her.

"This is it! Once we find Fishman Island we'll be off to the New World!" I said.

She smiled at me. "Yep, your real families in the New World right?"

"Yeah!" I thought for a minute, then got all gloomy. "Hey Nami?"

"Hm?"

"What if...what if my family hates me?" I asked sadly. "Or what if they're all a bunch of snobbish jerks, or even marines? Is it really okay for me to meet them?"

"What are you talking about?" Nami replied, slinging an arm around me. "Don't tell me your worrying now we're here. Who could hate you? Besides, if your families half as good as you we'll be fine."

"Doriririri! 'Cause I'm a noble baka right?" I said using my nickname.

She smiled. "Right."

I thought for a second. "Hey! Let me show you something!" I reached into my pocket and pulled out the chest that previously held the Dream-Dream Fruit. "Look at this." As Nami craned her head to see I turned the chest over, revealing the letters 'SRE' on the bottom.

"'SRE'? What does that mean?" She asked.

"I don't know, hopefully I'll find out when I meet my family!" I replied, placing it back in my pocket.

She nodded. "Of course you will, now, we'd better get in touch with the others." Chopper and Usopp got out of the pool to crowd around us along with Franky as Nami picked up the Den Den Mushi and spoke into it.

"How is it Robin, Luffy, Brook?" She spoke into the...thingy.

 _"It's no good, it's all dark."_ Robin replied.

 _"It's too dark! Uwahhh! Hey! Hey! Something shined just now!"_ Luffy's energetic voice shouted through.

 _"Ahhhh! A sea monster! I'm going to die! Ah, but I'm already dead. Yohohohoho!"_ Brook's skull joke was also sent through. _"By the way Nami-san, what panties are you wearing today?"_

"SHUT UP! TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY!" Nami and me yelled at the snail with shark expressions, causing Chopper to jump back in shock.

"He's certainly brave..." Usopp mumbled.

"You guys! The Shark Submerge's depth limit is 5,000 feet. Be careful!" Franky lectured them.

There was a bunch of inaudible mumbling followed by a girly shriek from Brook. We all just sweat-dropped.

"I don't ever wanna ride the Shark Submerge..." Chopper whispered to Usopp.

"Me neither..." Usopp whispered back.

"Nami-swaaaaaaaan!" A recognisable voice called out, as Sanji twirled across the deck with a small plate and fork. "I have made you a wonderful Thriller Bark Tart without the horror!"

Nami accepted the plated treat. "This is troublesome..." She sighed, eating a slice of the tart. "Delicious!" She noticed me and cut off a slice, I thanked her for her generosity.

"Ellix." Three voices whispered. "Get us a slice too." I looked at them and stuffed the whole thing in my mouth, grinning evilly at them whilst they silently cursed my luck. The tart was nice and sweet with a good mix of strawberry and vanilla, though I daren't ask for more.

"Even if we know where to go..." Nami said, staring at the Log Pose on her wrist, the needle pointing straight down. "How exactly do we get to Fishman Island?"

Suddenly the Shark Submerge rose up next to the Sunny, with it's three passengers exiting.

"Welcome back you guys!" Nami called over the edge.

"Let me come with you next time!" I also called.

"Woohoo! That was fun! Shame we couldn't see the bottom, is there really a Fishman Island?" My captain yelled.

"I've never been in a submarine before, what a wonderful experience!" The skeleton musician chortled.

"We couldn't go any deeper even if we wanted to, we didn't find anything." Our archeologist sighed.

Nami rested her head in her hands. "Great, I should have asked Lola for more details."

I patted her shoulder. "You'll think of something Nami, you always do! Your the best navigator ever!"

"But this is a something different..." She huffed.

Just then the water began to bubble, and what looked like a mix between a giant fish and a RABBIT burst out of the water.

"Ehhhhh!? That sea monster followed us!" Luffy screamed with his eyes popping out and shark teeth.

"A Sea Bunny!" Nami yelled.

"Hahahahaha! A Sea Bunny!? Really?" I laughed.

The stupid monster went to bite down on Sunny, but Luffy and me quickly interjected. "Don't think you can beat me above the ocean!" Luffy cried, twisting his arm back.

"Gum-Gum..."

"Soru..."

We both built up energy in our fists as the creature came too close for comfort.

"Rifle!"

"Ken!"

Our fists slammed into it's stomach, I don't think it could have taken Luffy let alone both of us. It roared in pain and looked like it spat something out before it was thrown back into the sea with its eyes rolled into the back of its head. Afterwards we turned our attention to the supposed spitball, only to find it was a figure.

"A fish?" Luffy asked, clearly confused.

However as it descended closer and closer we realized it had a human upper body and...a fish tail.

"No way!" I gasped.

"It...IT CAN'T BE!" Sanji yelled, his eye turning into a massive pink heart.

The unknown figure crash landed on top of Sanji, and upon closer inspection it turned out there were two of them, the other was...an orange starfish with eyes, a mouth and a hat...I'm just used to it.

Luffy's eyes bugged out again. "Nani!? There's something weird there too!"

The other figure, who was now officially confirmed to be a mermaid, sat up. She had green hair of a lighter tone then Zoro's and her tail was a bright pink, she also had on a yellow shirt with the 'Criminal' brand logo on the front. I could tell as Marcus had given me several 'Criminal' shirts before he got killed. Plus she wore a yellow seashell backpack.

The mermaid looked at Sanji, making her eyes pop out and her mouth gape in a large square of shock, a really odd face fault. "Ehhhhhh!?" She cried. "I've flattened a human!" She sat Sanji up straight. "I'm so sorry! Are you okay!?"

"I'm perfectly fine." Sanji cooed with a heart eye.

"A fin...and a tail...A MERMAID!?" The rest of the crew minus me, Luffy, Robin and Zoro (who was absent) yelled, their eyes bugging out, that was happening a lot.

"Ahhhh! I'm surprised! There are so many humans here!" The mermaid in question screamed, face-faulting once more. However she quickly grew calm again. "Anyway, thank you for saving me from getting digested! I'm easy pickings for marine animals. That's the 20th time now!"

I fell over. "20th!? Are you kidding me!?"

She smiled. "I have to thank you somehow, I know! Do you like takoyaki?"

Luffy and me leapt in front of her with sparkles around our heads. "Takoyaki!? That's my favourite food!" Luffy said.

"That sounds great! I love takoyaki!" I said.

She clasped her hands together. "Great! That will be 500 berri each!"

Suddenly the orange starfish jumped up and hit her over the head. "This isn't a store!" It yelled.

"Oh no! I forgot!" She shouted, face-faulting once more.

Everyone apart from the women stared at the mermaid and starfish with large eyes and dropped jaws at the statement.

xxxSummitxWarxxx

"Mermaiiiiiids! The love of my liiiiife! Mermaiiiiids! So pretty and diviiiiiine!" The Ero-cook sang, dancing around our new acquaintance with noodle legs and emanating hearts. "So cuuuuute! I've never met a real mermaid before! Did you say your name was Camie?"

We had all introduced ourselves and she had returned the favour, Keimi was indeed her name.

"And what happened to Kokoro-bassan?" Usopp questioned.

Suddenly Sanji got a very dark, depressed aura and started coughing up blood. "Thriller Bark? No, that was nothing. Do you want to know what installed TRUE fear into my heart?"

No, no! Let's just not speak about it okay?" Usopp replied.

"You guys are just rude." Nami sighed.

"Yeah." I agreed. "Nami told me she saved your life!"

He looked at me with a dark expression. "You would have understood if you were there...but no...you were lucky...you were off being the 'Spiky Ghost'."

His own nickname for my nightmare form annoyed me a lot and he knew it. "Don't call me that!"

"Naniiiii? Kokoro-bassan was a mermaid?" Luffy obliviously asked Franky. "But she walked around and stuff."

"Oh right, you never found out huh?" The cyborg replied, rubbing his chin. "It's all a matter of timing."

"Kokoro-bassan a mermaid? That's really gross..." Luffy said to himself.

The demoness that was Nami punched him in the face. "Don't say stuff like that!" She returned to normal and huffed. "Honestly, what do you think mermaids are?"

"Woman with fish tails instead of legs." I said with a nod of my head.

She looked at me with half-lidded eyes.

"She is rather cute though." Robin said.

"This is my first time meeting a mermaid as well!" Brook sang. As he walked up to her, seeing as he couldn't ask her for panties he asked for something else. "Please may you lend me some money?"

"WHAT THE HELL!?" Sanji roared, kicking the skeleton.

"SKELETON!" Camie shrieked, face-faulting yet again.

"What do you think your doing frightening her you stupid skeleton!?"

"Look! My head can open up as well! Isn't it grand?" The musician said, proving his point.

"Niiiiiice!" Camie recovered, clapping her hands.

"What a quick 180." Usopp mumbled.

Then the captain joined the fray. "Hey! Can you poop?"

"WHAT THE HELL KINDA QUESTION IS THAT!?"

"Well, actually-"

"DO NOOOOOOOOT!"

Over the chaos a depressed voice spoke up. "Camie...Camie...what's wrong...what's wrong...aren't you missing someone?" We turned to the owner to see that weird hat-wearing starfish, leaning against the wall with a depressing shadow over him. "Over there...having such fun...aren't you missing someone?...Who could it be?...Could it be me?"

"Can you stop rhyming please?" I called. "We can all hear you."

Luffy went over and proceeded to poke him. "Oh yeah Camie, what's this weird glove thing?"

"Oh right! I completely forgot!" She gestured to him, making him stand as proudly as possible with his arms crossed. "That is Pappug! My pet and master! He's a starfish!"

"Apparently starfish can talk." Usopp mumbled.

"Pet and master?" Nami asked.

"That doesn't sound right." I added.

Pappug sat on the railing with a guitar that appeared out of nowhere. "She keeps me as her pet...Camie! She gives me so many claaaams" He sang, playing a few notes.

"She feeds you." Nami simplified.

"Wrapped around her little finger." I whispered to Nami, which she smiled at.

Then he began singing for some reason. "Am I a humaaaan? I'm a starfish, but not a humaaan. Not a humaaaaan? I'm not a human, but a starfiiiish. Are you really busyyyy? Oh noooo. We've got plenty of hands around hereeeee." He then turned to us and gave us a thumbs up...as a starfish...with NO THUMBS. "Thank yooooou!"

"You have THUMBS!?" I yelled, voicing my mind.

"And this shirt is from the 'Criminal' brand." Camie continued pointing to her item of clothing. "It's really popular on Fishman Island, and Pappug is the designer! I wanna be a designer too someday."

"You were supposed to laugh!" The starfish yelled, regaining his depressed shadow.

"So that's where 'Criminal' came from?" I asked.

"You know about it!?" Camie asked back, face-faulting (I'd gotten used to it.).

"Yeah, my friend Marcus gave me some, guess that means he went to Fishman Island." I said with a nod.

Pappug instantly jumped up, "Really!? To think even humans so far out are wearing 'Criminal' brand shirts now! I must be a genius!"

"Seriously, how can you talk?" Luffy questioned the now energetic starfish.

"A very good question! When I was born I thought I was a human, by the time I found out I was a starfish, I could speak human language." He explained.

"Wow...that's...determination." I hesitantly said.

"Does it really work like that?" Luffy, blunt as always.

"The world works in many strange and frightening ways." Pappug wistfully said with outstretched arms. "That's just the way it is. So as you can see, I am Pappug, an up-and-coming designer. Thank you for saving my life!"

"But this is really great timing!" Nami said. "We were having a bit of trouble, can we just ask-"

"Oi Nami!" Luffy said, spreading his arms out. "The takoyaki comes first!"

"Luffy! Don't interrupt Nami!" I said. "While I'd normally agree with you the situation we have at the minute is-"

"Oh yes! Of course! You must have some takoyaki as thanks!" Camie agreed.

I sighed in defeat. "Sorry Nami."

She patted my back. "We both knew how this would end."

"I'll just call Hacchin so we can meet up!" The mermaid said, taking out a Den Den Mushi.

'Hacchin?' I thought, crossing my arms. 'Why does that name sound so familiar?'

"Hello there Hacchin? This is Camie, sorry I got kinda lost, where are you now?"

The snail lay dormant for a minute, before finally receiving a message. _"Oh, Camie is it? Mohahahaha...do you know to whom you are speaking? This ain't Hachi you know."_

"WHAAAAA!? This isn't Hacchan!?" Camie face-faulted yet again.

 _"This is Makuro! The famous idiotic Makuro crew!"_ The stranger announced.

 _"Don't say idiotic yourself!"_ Another voice said.

"It sounds like something's wrong..." Robin deduced.

"Hmph! What are you doing with Hacchin's Den Den Mushi?" Camie questioned.

 _"Why, because we've beaten up your precious Hachi of course."_

"No way! Hacchin would never be defeated by the likes of you!"

 _"Well, I guess your right, usually we wouldn't be a match for the guy...but we had the help of the 'Flying Fish Riders' this time! Mohahahaha!"_

Suddenly there was a 'ker-chunk' and a different voice came through. _"Nyu...Camie...so your okay...whew."_

"Hacchin!" Camie gasped. "Were you really defeated!?"

 _"They...kinda caught me off guard...you musn't come and find me! Nyu...I'll take these guys out...and come straight back! I'll be fine!"_

 _"Mohahahaha! You know what Camie? We're gonna sell this guy off real soon! Octopus fishmen are really rare, he'll fetch quite the price!"_

 _"You wanna save him? Then come and try! We'll be at the Sabaody Archipelago, in the waters 5 kilometers from Grove 44! At the base of the 'Flying Fish Riders' kidnapper gang!"_

 _"Ngyuu! You musn't come Camie! Don't even think about coming!"_

There was a smacking sound on the other end of the line. _"Shut up you octopus freak!"_ By now Camie was trembling as the rest of us listened on. I grew angrier and angrier at these heartless kidnappers who took away Camie's friend and thought they could do whatever the hell they wanted with him.

 _"Ngyuuu..."_ The weak voice called out.

 _"See ya!"_ And with that the line went dead.

"Hacchin..." Camie whispered with a shaky voice.

"And the takoyaki?" A certain rubber idiot stupidly asked.

"THIS ISN'T THE TIME!" Me, Sanji and Franky yelled with shark teeth.

"Wait a minute, that 'Hacchin' we heard sounded very familiar. Don't tell me it was him...maybe I'm just imagining it..." Nami mumbled.

"He did sound like him...don't worry Nami, if it is I won't let him go near you." I said with determination.

"I'm sorry Luffy-chin!" Camie replied frantically. "Can I give you the takoyaki another time? I have to go help a friend of mine right now!"

"Hold on a second Camie." Our navigator spoke up. "I don't mean to interfere, but if your going to try to save your friend from some kidnappers then we'll help you!" She jabbed a finger at us. "Or rather those guys will."

I stood to attention. "Yes Nami!"

"What about you!?" Usopp and Franky asked her.

I glared at them. "Wanna have nightmares tonight?"

They shrank away. "Nope."

"And in return..." Nami continued. "You can show us the way to Fishman Island! How about hit?"

"Huh? Are you sure Nami-chin?" Camie asked hopefully. "You'll all really help us get Hacchin out of there?"

"Sounds fine, but who is this Hacchin anyway?" Luffy asked.

"He runs the takoyaki shop where I work! He makes the best takoyaki in the world!"

We all suddenly felt raring to go. "WE HAVE TO SAVE HIM! ALL RIGHT MEN! WE WILL SAVE THE TAKOYAKI EVEN IF WE DIE TRYING!" Our captain roared.

"YEAH!" The rest of us shouted.

"Sounds like it's okay with them!" Nami laughed, sitting next to the mermaid. "You know where to go?"

"Grove 44 is an island at the very eastern edge of the archipelago." Pappug conveniently explained. "If we just head towards the Sabaody Archipelago, we should reach this place on the way. Five kilometers before we reach the archipelago proper, we just have to head due west. And we can leave the rest to the fish."

"Fish?" I questioned.

Camie stood on her tail and hopped over to the edge of the ship. "Hm, sounds about right! Let's go then!"

She brought her hand to the side of her mouth and yelled "Heeeey!" followed by a weird noise I couldn't understand. Suddenly the whole sea around us was swarming with all types of fish!

"Woah! Lots of fish appeared!" Luffy exclaimed.

"We'd like you to give us directions." Camie asked the fish. She made the weird noise again and the fish echoed it back, she then turned to us. "Apparently they're scared of those flying fish guys, so they won't go too close themselves, but they'll show us the way!"

"Amazing! You can talk to fish!" Nami said. "I didn't even know mermaids could do that! But wait, how can they hear you underwater?"

"I think that noise Camie made was hypersonic." I lectured. "It could easily travel through water and still be understood."

"Hey Camie! With you around we can eat as much fish as we want!" Luffy told the MERMAID.

Sanji appeared next to him with a murderous aura and voice to boot. "Try watching what you say dumbass.,."

The fish then rearranged themselves into a giant arrow in the middle of the sea! "Woooaaah!" Luffy cried.

"Bravoooooo! Mermaiiiiiiids!" Sanji called with heart eyes and noodle legs.

"This is incredible! The fish really drew an arrow in the middle of the sea! Is this even possible!?" Usopp shouted.

"Brilliant!" Nami cried. "We just have to follow the arrow right?"

"Camie, you're amazing!" Luffy and me yelled.

"Eheheh, I have a long way to go really..." Camie said happily.

Usopp ran to take the helm followed by Robin, turning the ship to 4 o'clock, and that's when a certain marimo appeared. "Setting off are we? Did you find the way to Fishman Island?"

"Zoro!" I yelled. "Where have you been?"

"Training." He replied bluntly.

I sighed. 'Figures.'

"Something like that." Luffy said, resting a hand on Camie's shpulder. "Hey Zoro! Check it out! It's Camie the mermaid! A real mermaid!"

"A mermaid huh?" I could practically hear the sound of Kokoro being erased from his memory. "First time for everything." He said with a smile now it was gone.

"It vanished! The memory just vanished!" Chopper shouted frantically.

"I didn't even use Dream Dream Lock!" I also yelled.

"But I'm really worried..." Camie admitted depressed. "Hacchin's voice sounded really weak...they must be doing terrible things to him..."

"Ah well, he's tough, he'll be alright." Pappug tried to reassure her, then turning to us. "More to the point, you guys were pretty quick to offer your help but...are you confident in your own abilities?"

"Yeah, we're strong." Luffy replied plainly.

Pappug continued anyway. "I should probably warn you, it's not just the one group of kidnappers around these parts. The Sabaody Archipelago is home to many more such gangs! Trading in human beings is big business around here."

"Buying and selling off people?...That's just not right." Sanji said.

"And since mermaids can fetch a particularly high price...the 'Makuro gang', a group of three fishmen, have been after Camie for some time. As for Hatchi from the takoyaki shop...well, since we were eaten by that beast and didn't come back for a while...he probably thought the Makuro gang had got their hands on us and went after them himself."

"Yes...Hacchin is such a kind and honest person...that must have been what happened..." Camie sighed. "It's all my fault..."

"You say he's an octopus and he's called Hatchi." Zoro said, about to speak mine and Nami's thoughts. "Kinda reminds me of that idiot fishman we ran into once..."

"Yeah..." Sanji agreed (with ZORO). "If it's him, I wouldn't really want to save him...not that it could be really."

The starfish chose to speak again. "Anyway, if it was just those guys, Hachi could take them out in a flash, but to think they would bring the 'Flying Fish Riders' into this..."

"Who're they?" Franky asked.

"They suddenly started to make a ruckus around these parts recently, they're another of the kidnapping gangs. They say if those guys are after you, you're finished. Their boss is called Duval, and he wears an iron mask, so no-one can see his face! But from what I've heard, he appears to be looking for somone, he's searched every ship that passes through these waters."

"Well, don't you worry Camie!" Luffy said with his famous grin. "We'll save the takayoki no matter what!"

"You mean the takayoki seller..." Pappug corrected him.

"Come on Brook!" The captain yelled. "Play us a song to get us in the mood!"

"But of course!" He replied, taking out his violin and began playing.

So as me and Nami danced together with the rest of the crew, we sailed on to save the takayoki...I mean Hachi! Yeah...the takayoki...HACHI!...TAKAYOKI!


End file.
